The Amazing Race: Danny Phantom Edition
by wwffan7385
Summary: 10 Danny Phantom related teams compete in a race around the world for 1 million dollars. Who will use their brains and their global knowledge best to grab the 1 million prize?
1. Leg 1 Atlanta to Mt St Helens

Title: The Amazing Race: DP EditionAuthor: wwffan7385  
Disclaimer: All Danny Phantom characters copyrighted and owned by Butch Hartman, Nickelodeon, and Viacom. The Amazing Race is property of CBS and Touchstone Television. All other names, places, and trademarks I may mention are owned by their respective companies.  
Rating: G-PG, not sure yet  
Genre: Reality  
Spoilers: I can't give away the race results like they do for the real show!  
Pairings: Nothing beyond what's presented in the show, maybe accentuated a bit.  
Warnings: Several D/S instances.  
Story Synopsis: So I think I now know what my specialization will be in FF writing: crossovers. That's exactly what I'm doing here, as I am crossing one of the best cartoons out there (DP) with the best reality show on television. I'm going to try to make all the route markers as accurate as possible, and see how I can go with this. Needless to say, this is my biggest fanfiction project yet, and I'm still enrolled at Georgia Tech, so we'll see what happens.  
For those who want to get a refresher on The Amazing Race, new episodes air Tuesdays at 9pm ET on CBS, while replays of past seasons air most nights at 9pm ET on GSN.

LEG 1 

In the middle of Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, GA, the host of The Amazing Race, Phil Keoghan stands, ready to introduce the audience to the latest season of TAR.

"I am standing here in the middle of Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, GA. 9 years ago, this park welcomed the world to the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. From here, 10 teams are about to embark on a race around the world for one million dollars."

At the same time, the ten teams are busy traversing via limousines to the park.

"This season, the ten teams each not only have a pre-existing relationship within the team, but have a pre-existing relationship with the other teams. The ten teams are..."

"Danny and Sam. High school best friends and ghost hunters."

Danny's Pre-Show Confessional: "I am really looking forward to racing this race with Sam. She's like a best friend to me. And besides, I think we have the ultimate advantage."

He turns into the ghost-fighting superhero Danny Phantom.

"This is our secret weapon." wink

Sam's Pre-Show Confessional: "Yeah, we've been friends for years now, and we grow closer every day. Hopefully this race will give me the opportunity to reveal my crush on Danny and let me reveal what I truly think about him."

Phil continues: "Tucker and Valerie. Ghost fighters with different identities."

Tucker's Pre-Show Confessional: "I've been researching different locales on my PDA, and now I know useless facts about over 100 countries. We've got this in the bag."

Valerie's Pre-Show Confessional: "How did I get stuck with this punk! If CBS allowed me to have my ghost-fighting gadgets with me, I would smoke all of these teams, including...Danny..."

Phil introduces the third team: "Jack and Maddie. Married parents with a knack for ghost hunting."

Maddie's Pre-Show Confessional: "I really had to convince Jack to promise me to not fight our ghost opponents in this race. He promised me, and if he truly loves me, he'll keep his promise."

Jack's Pre-Show Confessional: "This is my opportunity to capture some ghosts. Although I fear that if I try to use my gadgets, I might lose more than just the race. So I'll have to be real sneaky."

Phil: "Jazz and Lancer. The team with the smarts to overshadow everyone."

Jazz's Pre-Show Confessional: "I figure that this is the perfect way to celebrate my acceptance into Harvard pre-Law. Learn about many new cultures traveling around the world. This'll be perfect for my valedictorian speech!"

Lancer's Pre-Show Confessional: "Around the World in 80 days, I am about to start the race of my life. I figure if we make no mistakes, this race is in the bag. And with our brains, how could we make a mistake?"

Phil: "Dash and Paulina. The high school preps with overconfidence to match their popularity."

Dash's Pre-Show Confessional: "I mean, I'm the star QB of a mediocre high school football team. How could I possibly lose the biggest race of my life?"

Paulina's Pre-Show Confessional: "My dream in this race would be if Danny Phantom came and carried me across the Atlantic Ocean. Ah...Danny...what a guy..."

Phil: "Skulker and Technus. Two ghosts who use their tech and their braun to dispose of any threats."

Technus's Pre-Show Confessional: "Too bad they disallowed me to travel through transatlantic phone lines, else we would easily have this show in the bag!"

Skulker's Pre-Show Confessional: "Forget this Technus guy. I will single-handedly win the million dollars myself with my secret strategy."

Phil: "Johnny and Kitty. A young ghost couple with lots to prove to each other."

Johnny's Pre-Show Confessional: "I just wish I could prove to my girlfriend that I can do something worthwhile. I just hope I get a chance at that Danny Phantom..."

Kitty's Pre-Show Confessional: "This is Johnny's last chance at proving he's got something. If he can't make me happy, we are through!"

Phil: "Ember and Youngblood. Two ghosts with a common goal."

Ember's Pre-Show Confessional: "My music will completely entrance the people of every nation I visit. With people chanting my name, there's no way we can lose!"

Youngblood's Pre-Show Confessional: "I may be the youngest person in the race, but I think my small stature will come to our advantage, getting us through the smallest and the biggest situations. Not to mention my pirate mentality."

Phil: "Spectra and Desiree. Two powerful female ghosts with the looks to match."

Spectra's Pre-Show Confessional: "All I need to do is to talk to my rivals. They'll become so depressed, they won't have any hope!"

Desiree's Pre-Show Confessional: "By only listening to the wishes that will help me, I can't see any way we can lose this race. Together with Spectra, we're unstoppable!"

Phil: "Vlad and Dan. Danny's two biggest enemies together on the biggest race."

Vlad's Pre-Show Confessional: "I'm the only other human on Earth with the transforming powers that Danny has. And he's only a boy. Who could possibly beat us?"

Dan's Pre-Show Confessional: "This will be a piece of cake. With my advanced powers and my knowledge of future technology, I will destroy everyone in my path!"

Phil continues to introduce the show as the contestants approach.

"Can these ten teams work together through the pressures and fatigue of over 45,000 miles of travel across 5 continents? Can they keep their rivalries in check to concentrate on the ultimate prize of $1 million? The answers are waiting as we get ready to begin The Amazing Race."

Phil then meets the ten teams.

"In just a few minutes, you will be beginning a race around the world for $1 million. Now, during each leg, you will have to complete tasks which will test both your physical and mental strengths. At the beginning of each leg, you will receive a finite amount of money, which must pay for all of your expenses, except airline travel which you will not have to pay for. Some of you have special ghost powers. Those powers may NOT be used for travel but may be used to your advantage in completing tasks. At the end of each leg, there will be a pit stop. 7 of these legs are elimination points, so you need to get to the end of these legs as quickly as possible, because if you check into one of these pit stops last, you'll be eliminated. Does everyone understand this fact?"

They all nod. Phil continues.

"Your first clue is located on top of the bags that you brought with you. Open it, then take your bags and hop in one of these cars. Anything beyond that is completely up to you. The world is waiting for you. Travel safe."

He does his trademark hand and eyebrow raises.

"GO!"

The 10 teams race to their bags. Vlad, being the fastest, reaches the bag first to encounter a Route Marker.

ROUTE MARKER 1.1: Make your way to Vancouver, British Columbia, and find the Science World museum located in the Yaletown area. You may take one of only two flight combinations.

Delta 1187 – Departs 8:45am

United 415/1127 – Departs 7:45am

You have $250 for this leg of the race. Reminder: No ghost powers to fly across land, you must use an airline flight.

It is 6:00am. Vlad realizes that they need to hurry.

"Come on Dan," Vlad says, "we must get down to the airport and reserve our flight."

"But how should we get down there?" Dark Danny questions.

As they decide, Jazz, who has researched many cities to prepare for the race, recommends public transportation.

"Traffic at this hour in Atlanta is horrible. I suggest we take Marta."

"Hmm, you're right," Lancer reacts, "let's head for Marta."

The other teams, realizing that Jazz and Lancer are one of the smarter pairs in the race, follow them onto Marta. All 10 teams make it to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at 7:00am. Phil then notifies the television audience of the first twist.

"There are only enough seats on the Delta flight for only 4 teams," Phil informs the TV audience. "The other 6 teams must take the United flight, which arrives 80 minutes later."

Jazz and Lancer are first off the train and rush to the Delta counter conveniently located inside the station. They get the first seats on the Delta flight, followed closely by Vlad and Dark Danny, Ember and Youngblood, and Tucker and Valerie. Tucker admits that he had an advantage in grabbing the seats.

"This PDA does more than catch ghosts. It can also reserve airline seats real-time. Yay technology!"

"Yeah, whatever you say," Valerie says, "I'm gonna hang out with my friends for a bit."

Unfortunately her friends had already gone through the security checkpoint. Dash and Paulina arrived at the Delta counter too late, so they were forced to take the earlier, longer flight, along with Danny and Sam, Jack and Maddie, Skulker and Technus, Johnny and Kitty, and Spectra and Desiree. This meant they had to rush to make a 7:45am flight. They all made it though.

"Man, this blows," Dash exclaims, "Why do we have to be on the worse flight?"

"It's cause you keep thinking about football all the time," Paulina reacts.

"Yeah, like USC shouldn't be #1. That's a rip to Virginia Tech."

Meanwhile, the four other teams waited patiently for their 8:45am non-stop flight. Ember decided to be nice for a change and play a few rifs for an interested kid.

"Wow," the kid says, "So do you write your own material?

"It's the only song I know," Ember answers, "It gets into my head way too often."

In confessional: I just wish Butch would let me write a new song. Maybe for the Christmas special.

The four teams get on their plane. Meanwhile, on the other plane, Danny decides to get in an hour of shut-eye. Sam just sits there with her arm around Danny, watching the in-flight movie.

"I just wish I could tell Danny what I really think about him," Sam quietly reveals to the camera, "but I'm just too nervous. Maybe I'll get a chance on this trip."

Later, in Vancouver, the first plane lands with the four leading teams. It is 11:00am. The fast Vlad and Dan are first to the taxi stand and get a quick exit from the airport. Vlad objects to the price of the taxi.

"50 Canadian Dollars? (about US$43) That's way too expensive!"

"Silence!" Dan says. "Getting first in the initial leg is the key to winning."

Tucker and Valerie, Jazz and Lancer, and Ember and Youngblood follow close behind. Youngblood uses empty threats to the taxi driver to get them ahead.

"Avast, ye matey! You shall get us to the Science World first or you shall walk the plank!"

Scared, the taxi driver gets them there first, followed closely by the other three teams. Youngblood opens the envelope to reveal a Route Marker.

ROUTE MARKER 1.2: Travel to Whistler, British Columbia and the Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort. At the bottom gondola station, you will find your next clue.

Ember and Youngblood call for a taxi, but to no avail. Ember decides to take matters into her own hands, using her guitar to immediately draw a taxi to their location. Ember and Youngblood then jet off, followed closely by Valerie and Tucker, who used his PDA to call for one. Vlad and Dan and Jazz and Lancer follow behind. As those four teams near the ski resort, the other six teams arrive on the late flight after a stopover in Denver. Dash uses his 4.4 40 skills to propel Paulina into 5th place. The other five teams follow, with Jack and Maddie trailing behind.

Meanwhile, Ember and Youngblood hit the Route Marker first. Ember opens up the envelope. It is a Road Block, which is a task only one person may perform. No person can complete more than 6 Road Blocks on the entire race.

ROAD BLOCK 1: Who's up for a wild ride?

"We could go faster with a smaller person on the slopes," Ember argues to Youngblood. "You do it."

Youngblood reluctantly agrees and opens up the envelope.

ROAD BLOCK 1 CONTINUED: You must race down the tube slope passing 10 gates in 60 seconds. If you fail, you must go to the top and start again. If you pass, you will get your next clue.

Youngblood goes to the top of the slope, followed closely by Valerie, Jazz, and Vlad, who elect to complete the Road Block for their teams.

Youngblood, having arrived first, gets to try first. The tube course is very slalom-like in nature, but Youngblood uses his pirate like nature to his advantage. He gets down the slope in 53.2 seconds, completing the Road Block first. While Youngblood is getting off the slope, an attendant gives Ember the next clue.

ROUTE MARKER 1.3: You may have completed your first Road Block, but that doesn't mean you're leaving the continent just yet. Drive yourselves to Seattle, WA and find the Space Needle. You will find your next clue on the observation deck.

"We're heading to Seattle!" Ember shouted to her partner, "Where I can learn how to play grunge!"

"Avast!" Youngblood responds.

As they set out for Washington, Valerie is next on the slope.

"I just wish I could use my sled on this slope!" Valerie reacts to the steepness of the hill.

"That's why you should use this!" Tucker says. "It's a tracking system where I can guide you around the gates!"

"Isn't that against the rules?"

"There's nothing saying you can't use it."

Valerie attaches it to her tube and Tucker makes the tube take off. Valerie holds on for dear life as she completes the course in 39.3 seconds. She then wipes out after the finish line, going into a total whitewash. Frostbitten and all, Valerie and Tucker grab the clue and leave, followed a few minutes later by Jazz and Lancer and Vlad and Dan.

Meanwhile, the first of the latter teams reaches Science World in Vancouver. Dash and Paulina are first of the pack and 5th overall, followed by Johnny and Kitty, Spectra and Desiree, Danny and Sam, Skulker and Technus, and Jack and Maddie. Already the disagreements are starting with some teams.

"Spectra might not have been the best person to team up with," Spectra says about Desiree in her confessional. "When we make a wrong turn, it's so depressing.

And a couple of wrong turns on the way to Whistler put them in last place. Meanwhile, Danny's crazy driving skills actually work, passing Dash and Paulina on the highway to get into 5th place.

"Attribute that to lots of experience with the Specter Speeder in the Ghost Zone," Danny says to Sam on the ride.

As they approach Whistler, the lead pack approaches the USA/Canadian border. Lead team Ember and Youngblood encounter some unexpected problems at Customs.

"What is that?" a border patrol officer says to Ember, pointing at her guitar.

"Uh, my guitar?" Ember says, trying not to reveal the mind-control powers of the guitar.

"Hmm. As long as you don't become another Avril Lavigne, you can enter the country. all knowing entity forbid having to deal with another one of those pop divas."

Ember nervously chuckles and continues down I-5 towards Seattle, with the lead teams all less than 10 minutes behind.

In the meantime, Danny and Sam reach the Route Marker at Whistler. Danny agrees to do it for his pairing, not wanting Sam to be out in her t-shirt on a snow-covered mountain. After all, what are "strictly" best friends for? Dash and Paulina, Skulker and Technus, and Johnny and Kitty arrive shortly after, with Paulina, Skulker, and Kitty agreeing to go for their teams. Meanwhile, Jack and Maddie stop at a McDonald's for directions. They are completely lost.

"You mean we passed it 20 miles ago?" Maddie says to the McDonald's crew member.

"Yep, I'm afraid so, eh?" the crew member responds.

"Drat!" Jack says. "Let's get back on the road...but first, can I get 6 cheeseburgers?"

"Jack, I don't know if we should be wasting money on fast food."

"You can't race on an empty stomach, Maddie!"

As they continue to bicker, Danny devises a plan on the mountain to get down quickly. He goes into a nearby restroom and changes into the ghost fighter Danny Phantom.

"I figure," Danny ponders, "that if I can blast my way around the gates, then I should be able to finish it very quickly!"

His hypothesis proves true, as he gets down the hill in a hurry, setting a new record of 29.99 seconds. Sam hugs him at the end as they get their clue and set off for Seattle. Back up top, it's Paulina's turn.

"Watch me, Dash," Paulina says, "as I get down this hill!"

3 gates later, Paulina has wiped out. She must go back behind Skulker and Kitty to try again. Skulker and Kitty use their ghost powers (there is no ghost power restriction on challenges) to get down the hill in under 50 seconds each. They move on to Seattle.

Meanwhile, in Seattle, the lead pack has reached the Space Needle. Still in the lead, Ember and Youngblood hit the Route Marker first. It is a Detour, which is a choice between two tasks, each with its own pros and cons.

DETOUR 1: Brew or Crew

Brew: Make your way to the Starbucks at Columbia Center. There you must figure out for yourself how to make 20 lattes for customers. Once you have made 20 lattes, the manager will give you your next clue.

Crew: Travel to Lake Washington Park where you must row through a predetermined course in a canoe. At the end, the park ranger will give you your next clue.

Ghost powers cannot be used for either of these challenges.

"Aar, so which one should we pick, Ember?" Youngblood says.

"Let's try Crew," Ember says, "my guitar doubles as a good oar."

So the pair heads for Lake Washington. The other three groups, who arrive at the Space Needle shortly thereafter, head for the Starbucks.

Back in Canada, Jack and Maddie arrive at the mountain. Since she is lighter, Maddie agrees to go for the married couple. As they head for the course, Spectra and Desiree arrive, with Spectra agreeing to go. Maddie is able to use her tools to complete the course in 45.5 seconds. Spectra follows with a fast time of her own. They both grab the clues and head for the USA.

At the same time, Ember and Youngblood arrive at Lake Washington.

"Oy!" Youngblood says to Ember. "That water temperature is 45 degrees!"

"Quiet, dipstick," Ember says, "let's just get this done."

They both put on their lifejackets and head for the water. The cold water definitely gets to the pairing, as their rowing technique is very slow.

"Grr..." Ember growls, "this is gonna take forever."

Meanwhile, Jazz and Lancer, Vlad and Dan, and Tucker and Valerie arrive at the Starbucks. The tech geek and the ghost fighter arrive first, as Valerie has a distinct advantage.

"Remember," Valerie said, "I worked at the Nasty Burger as their mascot to make money. They had a similar coffee machine in there."

She makes 20 lattes in no time flat and is the first team to receive the post-Detour clue.

ROUTE MARKER 1.4: Make your way to the Mount St Helens National Volcanic Monument Visitor Center in Silver Lake, WA. There you will find your next clue.

"Let's get going!" Tucker says.

They return to their car and drive south on I-5. Jazz and Lancer, who have drank plenty of Starbucks in their life, also finish quickly. Vlad and Dan, however, have some problems.

"The coffee seems to keep slipping through my hands," Dan says.

"Well maybe if you didn't turn intangible uncontrollably..." Vlad responds.

"Oh yeah...forgot about that part."

They get it together to be 3rd out of the Detour.

Meanwhile, back at the Space Needle, the 2nd pack arrives, led by Danny and Sam with Dash and Paulina, Skulker and Technus, and Johnny and Kitty following close behind. Danny and Sam and Dash and Paulina opt to go for Brew, while Skulker and Technus and Johnny and Kitty opt for Crew.

Back on the lake, Ember and Youngblood seem to be still having their difficulties.

"We should be doing better than this," Ember says. "What kind of a pirate are you?"

"I just tell people to row for me," Youngblood responds. "I don't do any of the work myself!"

They then notice that Skulker/Technus and Johnny/Kitty are arriving. Feeling the pressure, they get it together to finish the course and be 4th out of the detour as the two arriving teams start their task.

Back in Seattle, Dash/Paulina and Danny/Sam's experience in hanging out at coffeehouses get them out of the Detour quickly. A race ensues to get to Silver Lake as fast as possible.

At the Space Needle, Jack/Maddie arrives ahead of Spectra/Desiree. Both opt for Brew and hoof it to the Starbucks. It can be quickly seen that Jack has had many a coffee cup in his life.

"twitch I just wanted to say twitch that this coffee twitch is twitch fantastic!" Jack says as he sips more of the coffee.

"You're burning through our cash allowance!" Maddie scolds.

Jack frowns as he continues the task. Back at the lake, Technus uses part of his body to his advantage.

"You have a propeller in your body?" Skulker says.

"Yep, 75 horsepower too," Technus answers. "And not a ghost power at all!"

They use this to finish the detour in 7th. Johnny/Kitty finish close behind in 8th.

Back in Seattle, Jack/Maddie get their quick fix under control to finish the detour in 9th place. Spectra and Desiree take a few more minutes and they bring up the rear.

Meanwhile, the leading team of Tucker/Valerie approaches the visitor center.

"Get ready to run," Valerie says, "this could be the pit stop."

"Hopefully I can," Tucker answers, "I run a 30-second 100m dash."

"WHAT! You told me you set a world record!"

"Yeah, well people lie sometimes."

Tucker and Valerie see the clue box. They drive next to it and read the route marker.

ROUTE MARKER 1.5: Hike 2 miles to the campsite within clear view of Mount St Helens. Once you are there, pull a ticket for one of three departure times in the morning. Once you pick a time, you may not take it back or trade with another team. You must walk to the campsite, no flying or use of any other ghost powers.

The leading duo set off for the campsite, followed 5 minutes behind by Jazz/Lancer, Vlad/Dan, and Ember/Youngblood. Ember and Youngblood are able to race ahead of Jazz/Lancer. As much as Jazz and Lancer are smart, their PE skills were never the best. Tucker and Valerie arrive first to notice that there are indeed three different departure times: 7:30am, 8:00am, and 8:30am. Tucker and Valerie grab the 7:30am time, as does Ember/Youngblood and Vlad/Dan. Jazz and Lancer arrive to discover there are no more 7:30am time slots available.

"Animal Farm!" Lancer exclaims. "We're gonna be caught at a disadvantage!"

Lancer and Jazz settle for an 8:00am timeslot. Meanwhile, Ember rejoices at the fact that they got the first time out of there. Just then, a CBS executive walks up to her and whispers something in her ear.

"And we have all your equipment here too," the executive informs Ember.

"Great!" Ember responds, "I can now get more power with the cheers of my many fans!"

Back at the Visitor Center, Dash/Paulina and Danny/Sam arrive at the same time after an intense race down I-5 that involved several illegal activities. The race to the campsite is just as intense. Danny, who changed into his human form unbeknownst to Dash/Paulina during the ride down from Seattle, and Sam are overtaken by the more athletic Dash and Paulina. Their race is all for naught as both teams grab an 8:00am time ticket.

"You're gonna be mine, Fenton!" Dash promises.

"Oh yeah? Well, keep in mind that slow and steady normally wins the race!" Danny says, not realizing that his streak of bad comebacks continues.

"Besides, everyone knows that goth is better than preppy," Sam adds, directing her comment at Paulina.

"But at least I get to go to killer parties on weekends!" Paulina says.

"BURNNNNNNNNNNNN!" Dash adds.

Over the next two hours, the last four teams arrive in the same order in which they left Seattle. Spectra and Desiree fear the first elimination, but are relieved to hear that they catch up with the rest of the group as they grab an 8:30am time ticket along with Jack/Maddie, Skulker/Technus, and Johnny/Kitty.

Once the teams settle into camp for the evening, who else shows up but Phil.

"Congratulations on surviving your first day of the Race," Phil says, "and as a reward, I'd like to give you guys a special presentation of a concert being seen worldwide. Here she is, for one time only, Ember!"

Ember comes out on the quickly-constructed stage with a great shot of an active Mount St. Helens in the background.

"Hello, West Coast!" Ember intros. "Tell me who you love!"

Most of the group responds with "Ember!" along with the rest of the world. However, Danny, Sam, Lancer, Jazz, and Dan refrain, invulernable to the hypnotic powers of Ember's guitar.

"Yes, world," Ember says in her confessional, "give me the power I need to win this race and the one million dollars. Then I can start my reunion tour where I can take over the world!"

Her evil grin lasts until the beginning of her first number. The racers are entertained by Ember's concert for the next hour, and the group fraternizes for the rest of the night.

At the end of the night, the teams retreat into their tents, one per team. Jack and Maddie have their reservations over Danny and Sam sleeping in the same tent.

"Daniel, you be a gentleman in there," Jack says. "I don't want to hear any kissing in there."

"We're not like that!" Danny says, trying to dispel the rumor of their relationship.

"If only he knew..." Sam thinks to herself.

So the first day of the race is over. But someone will be eliminated at the first pit stop. Who will it be? Leg 2 beckons shortly...


	2. Leg 2: Mt St Helens to Hiroshima

LEG 2

The morning arrives, with all ten teams ready to go. Little do they know that at today's pit stop, one team will be eliminated.

Tucker/Valerie, Ember/Youngblood, and Vlad/Dan are up and ready to go. They get their envelopes at 7:30am.

ROUTE MARKER 2.1 – Make your way to Osaka, Japan and find Osaka Castle. Search the grounds around the castle for your next clue. You may use ghost powers to travel around the grounds quicker, but you may NOT use ghost powers to fly across the ocean, you must use an airline.

"Ooh, Osaka," Dan says with glee, "where I can take over the peons of an inferior country."

"Yes, Osaka," Ember adds, "the Japanese crowd goes crazy over pop rockers like me."

They drive off in their SUVs. As they drive closer to the interstate, Vlad suggests a good idea.

"I saw a travel agency on the way in," Vlad says to Dan. "Let's get our tickets there."

Vlad and Dan drive to the AAA in Silver Lake as Ember/Youngblood follow.

As they work for a travel arrangement, 3 more teams prepare to depart. At 8:00am, Danny/Sam, Jazz/Lancer, and Dash/Paulina open up their clue.

"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone!" Lancer exclaims. "That's a long, long trip."

"Well, duh," Danny responds, "that's the point of the Amazing Race. Thought you'd know that seeing as how you are a teacher."

As Danny laughs, Lancer glares at him. After the teams get in their cars, Lancer reacts to what Danny just said.

"If Danny wants to be in a random alliance with us, don't let him," Lancer angrily says. "I want him eliminated."

"But, Mr. Lancer," Jazz responds, "you can't be that mean to my brother, who has something to hide...I mean, nothing! Nothing to hide at all!"

Catching Jazz's slip-up, Lancer becomes suspicious. As Danny and Sam pass them for 4th place...

"I'm watching you, Fenton," Lancer thinks to himself.

Meanwhile, the first group of teams has found the quickest way to Osaka.

"So what you're saying is if we drive quickly to Seattle and fly ANA out of there, we can get to Osaka first?" Youngblood asks to the travel agent.

"That is correct," he responds, "but your flight is in 5 hours, and Seattle is a good 3.5 hours away. You'll have to speed up there."

"Good point," Tucker says.

They drive off, hoping to make their 2:00pm flight. It is currently 9:00am. This means that the final group, consisting of Jack/Maddie, Skulker/Technus, Johnny/Kitty, and Spectra/Desiree, has left the campsite and is on the way here. As soon as the first group leaves the travel agency, the 8:00am group arrives to receive some bad news.

"No tickets at all?" Sam exclaims.

"Nope," the travel agent responds. "you cannot travel with your racing rivals. The quickest way there now is to fly Northwest out of Portland, OR, but you'll get there 2 hours later."

Dash sighs. "Give us those."

They all take those tickets and depart for Portland. The final group that comes behind them also grabs the Northwest tickets.

"We can only hope," Skulker says, "that that first group won't make it to Seattle in time."

"And I've got just the way to make that work," Johnny evilly says.

He fires 3 long-range ecto-blasts at the cars heading towards Seattle. They are direct hits on the tires, crippling the cars of Tucker/Valerie, Vlad/Dan, and Ember/Youngblood 1 hour away from the airport. It is 11:30am.

"Drat!" Valerie says. She examines the tire more closely. The mark left behind is of the number 13. "Johnny, you are going down!"

An hour elapses before replacement cars arrive. Under the rules of TAR, a team whose vehicle has broken down through no fault of their own can obtain a replacement vehicle. However, no time credit could be given for such an unlucky break. The teams move into their replacement vehicles, hoping they could get up to the airport and thru security in 90 minutes.

Meanwhile, the other 7 teams arrive in Portland and get on their flight. The reason for the two hour discrepancy would be a layover in Tokyo.

At the same time, Tucker/Valerie, Vlad/Dan, and Ember/Youngblood arrive at the airport with only 28 minutes until their flight departs. They have their tickets, but security lines are 20 minutes long.

As a last-ditch effort, Tucker uses his PDA to access the FAA's controls.

"What are you doing?" Valerie asks.

"I'm disabling the ANA plane until we can reach the plane," Tucker answers.

"Oh," says Ember, who overhears the conversation. "That's real smart."

The group is able to make their flight with Tucker's scheme.

All ten teams are on their way to Japan, with Tucker/Valerie, Vlad/Dan, and Ember/Youngblood getting a non-stop flight from Seattle to Osaka. All the other teams must transfer through Tokyo and therefore arrive in Osaka 2 hours later.

Arriving first at 7:00am Japan Time (JST), Vlad/Dan are first out of the airport, followed quickly by Tucker/Valerie and Ember/Youngblood. They each decide to take the train to downtown, and are all on the same subway. Arriving at the same time 1 block away from the Osaka Castle, Vlad/Dan reaches the castle first. Vlad turns into his ghost form and agrees with Dan to fly in different directions, searching for the route marker. Ember and Youngblood do the same, leaving Tucker and Valerie to go on foot. Suddenly, Ember sees it.

"There it is," Ember thinks, "but I have to grab it quickly and fly away so no one else knows the position of the Marker."

She grabs the clue and then goes to search for Youngblood, who coincidentally is nearby. They get out of the area and open the clue.

ROUTE MARKER 2.2: Travel by bullet train to the city of Kyoto, Japan and find the Nintendo World Headquarters. No ghost powers may be used to find this Route Marker.

Unfortunately for the lead team, Tucker was tracking Ember's ecto-signature using his PDA.

"It's cool that I can use this PDA on this race for most anything," Tucker says in his post-leg confessional, "but it's too bad that they won't let me have GPS capability. That would've given us the race right there."

Tucker tracks the ecto-signature to the route marker and he and Valerie head for the train station in hot pursuit of Ember/Youngblood. 15 minutes later, a frustrated Vlad finally finds the clue and they head off to Kyoto. At the train station, after paying 1380 yen (US$12) for tickets, Ember/Youngblood grab a train that is ready to go. Much to their glee, the train departs before Tucker/Valerie can get there.

"Aw, shoot," Valerie says, "And now we have to wait another 12 minutes before another train."

This discrepancy allows the fast Vlad/Dan team to catch up with them, and they load onto the same train to Kyoto.

As they depart for Kyoto, Ember/Youngblood arrive in Kyoto. Conveniently, the Nintendo HQ is only 3 blocks away. In front of the building, Ember/Youngblood encounter the next route marker: a detour.

DETOUR 2: WORK OR PLAY

WORK: Travel 2 blocks to Shikado Indoor Swimming Pool where you must complete a breathing exercise underwater.

PLAY: Travel 10 miles to Miyamoto Arcade where you must complete a dancing tutorial.

Ghost powers may not be used for traveling to or completing either challenge.

Little do they know the pros and cons of these vague instructions. In work, the team would have to complete a process known as drownproofing. Drownproofing is a technique where a person can breathe and bob above the surface of the water at the same time. In this Detour, it will be taken to the extreme, as each team member will have their hands and feet bound together and they will have to survive. They would have to each stay in this position for 5 consecutive minutes to complete the Detour. If a team member had to be rescued, the team would have to go to the back of the line. Teams wouldn't have to go as far and the pool is relatively easy to find, but they would have to complete a challenging task. In Play, the team would have to play a game of Dance Dance Revolution and complete 3 songs with a grade on each of "D" or better. Teams would have to go a far distance and the arcade is in a hard-to-find location, but the task is definitely easier.

"So which one should we do?" Ember asks.

"I think we should do the work," Youngblood responds, "because we are experienced pirates and experienced in the water."

Ember/Youngblood head for the pool. They arrive to see the real task in front of them.

"We have to do THAT?" Ember says. "With our legs and arms bound?"

"Watch how they're doing that," Youngblood says, responding to the people in the water demonstrating the technique.

"I'm scared. I don't want to drown."

"Don't worry, we got those people to rescue us just in case."

Ember nervously walks back and forth for a couple of minutes, trying to reassure herself of the task at hand. They only get going into the pool after Vlad/Dan arrive at the pool, choosing work over play as well. They dive into the pool with their hands and feet bound and begin the technique. They are successful and get out of the Detour first, receiving the next Route Marker.

ROUTE MARKER 2.3: Make your way to the Miyako-zushi Restaurant in Tokyo, Japan where you will find your next clue. You may travel using any method except using ghost powers.

As the leaders head for Japan's capital, it is Vlad/Dan's turn to try the Detour task. Luckily for the ghost team, both Vlad and Dan are great at holding their breath, completing the Detour with ease.

While Vlad/Dan travel to Tokyo, Tucker/Valerie are heading to the arcade in a taxi. Lucky for them, the taxi driver knows where the arcade is, getting them to the arcade in a hurry. They discover the DDR challenge, and Tucker is pumped.

"This is my favorite game!" Tucker says. "We are gonna pass this with ease."

"Especially since my dancing skills are unrivaled," Valerie adds.

They pass the challenge easily and head off to Tokyo. All three teams choose to take the Bullet Train to Tokyo.

As the lead pack approaches Tokyo, the 2nd flight, carrying Danny/Sam, Jack/Maddie, Jazz/Lancer, Dash/Paulina, Skulker/Technus, Johnny/Kitty, and Spectra/Desiree, arrives in Osaka. Johnny and Kitty grab the lead heading out of the airport and grab a just-departing subway to grab the advantage. The other teams grab the next subway train. Johnny and Kitty hit the Osaka Castle first and go intangible to search for the Route Marker. A few minutes later, Danny and Sam arrive. Danny dives behind a bush to turn into Danny Phantom, then uses his powers to turn him and Sam invisible as well. In order to keep the couple invisible, Danny has to keep his arm around Sam, a motion that makes Sam blush. As she blushes, Danny spots the Route Marker and the couple gets on the bullet train for Kyoto. Johnny and Kitty follow on the same train as they find the route marker at the same team. Meanwhile, the other 5 teams reach the castle simultaneously. Spectra decides it is time for a little bit of depressing news to slow the other teams down, so she grabs a megaphone out of her backpack.

"You guys aren't gonna get the million dollars anyways," Spectra says, "so why do you continue trying?"

The other four teams become depressed temporarily, letting Spectra and Desiree invisibly grab the Clue and get on a train by themselves, heading to Kyoto in 6th. After another 10 minutes, the remaining teams become anti-depressed and grab the clue at the same time. They get on the same bullet train and head for Kyoto.

At the same time, the lead pack is having troubles of their own in Tokyo. The restaurant where the next clue is is hard to find for the taxi drivers the teams have selected. Suddenly, the taxi driver for Vlad and Dan finds the restaurant. Vlad and Dan get out of the taxi quickly and encounter the Road Block.

ROAD BLOCK 2: Who's up for a feast?

"I'll do it," Dan says, knowing that Vlad did the first Road Block and remembering the RB limit.

ROAD BLOCK 2 OPENED: The person selected must eat 10 sushi rolls before they can receive their next clue. No ghost powers allowed.

"10?" Dan reacts. "That seems like a lot."

But Dan has already dedicated himself to the challenge. He goes in to accept his fate, with Tucker/Valerie and Ember/Youngblood pulling in behind them. Valerie agrees to do the Road Block, as does Ember for her team. The challenge proves to be challenging for Dan, who was never the biggest sushi eater. Meanwhile, Valerie pounds through her sushi in only 18 minutes. After showing that she has indeed eaten all 10, Tucker/Valerie receive their next clue.

ROUTE MARKER 2.4: Make your way to the Pit Stop, located in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, Japan. No ghost powers are allowed to travel until you reach the Hiroshima city limits, then everything is fair game. Warning: last team to check in will be eliminated.

Heeding the warning, Tucker and Valerie depart for the train station. Ember finishes in 24 minutes and they depart as well. Vlad begins to get worried about Dan, who has only finished four rolls.

"We need to get going!" Vlad urges to Dan. "Why can't you finish this stuff?"

"Shut up!" Dan says. "I'm going as fast as I possibly can!"

As Dan continues to struggle in Tokyo, Danny, still in Phantom form, and Sam reach the Detour. Sam is excited that one of her choices is DDR.

"You know that every goth loves DDR," Sam says, "so let's go do that."

"Ok," Danny says, turning back into his human form behind a tree.

They rush off for the arcade, while Johnny and Kitty try their hand at drownproofing. Johnny and Kitty fail the first time, as Kitty was never the best at breathing.

"But I thought you were!" Johnny says angrily to his girlfriend.

"I lied," Kitty answers. "All girls lie."

Meanwhile, Danny and Sam pass the DDR Challenge with ease and they head off for Tokyo. As Johnny and Kitty continue to struggle, the last five teams, Jack and Maddie, Jazz and Lancer, Dash and Paulina, Spectra and Desiree, and Skulker and Technus, arrive at the Detour. Jack/Maddie, Spectra/Desiree, and Skulker/Technus head off for the arcade while Dash/Paulina and Jazz/Lancer walk to the pool. Johnny and Kitty, in the middle of their 3rd attempt at the Detour, see the other teams come in. Alas, they fail once again, and now they must go to the end of the line. Meanwhile, Dash and Paulina, athletic as they are, pass the challenge with ease. They leave for Tokyo in 5th place. Back in Tokyo, the pressure is starting to get to Dan.

"Just eat it!" Vlad urges.

Dan, angry as he is at his partner, swallows his pride and finishes up. They rush to Hiroshima just as Danny and Sam pull up to the restaurant. Reading the Road Block, they both agree that Sam is perfect for this challenge.

As Sam prepares to dig in in Tokyo, the leaders Tucker/Valerie and Ember/Youngblood arrive in Hiroshima. Ember and Youngblood, knowing that they could now use their ghost powers to fly, use that quality to their advantage. They find the memorial quickly and the mat where the Pit Stop Check-In is located. They land on the mat where Phil and a local are waiting.

"Welcome to Japan," the local says.

"Thanks," Ember and Youngblood respond.

"Ember and Youngblood," Phil says. Then he pauses a moment to create dramatic effect. "You are team number one!"

Ember and Youngblood cheer. Ember's hair goes into a blue flame to celebrate.

"Now I've got some good news," Phil continues, "as winners of this first leg of the Amazing Race, you have each won this brand new portable Sirius Satellite Radio, which you can enjoy wherever you want. Congratulations."

Tucker and Valerie show up a few moments later.

"Tucker and Valerie, you're team number two."

Tucker and Valerie high-five each other.

"But we would've been last," Valerie says to Phil, "If it wasn't for that PDA. Thank you technology!"

"Now you're getting the idea!" Tucker responds.

Back in Tokyo, Sam is already finished with her sushi.

"Wow," Danny says, "good job."

"Thanks," Sam responds, "seeing as how I'm vegetarian and all."

They receive the clue and set off for Hiroshima. Meanwhile, back in Kyoto, Jazz and Lancer pass the Detour, with Jazz's aerobic exercise routine paying off. Jack and Maddie have also passed the DDR Challenge and get on the same train as Jazz and Lancer heading for Tokyo. Now it is Johnny and Kitty's turn once again for the drownproofing. Again, they fail, dropping behind Skulker and Technus and Spectra and Desiree, who have each passed DDR. On the next turn, they finally pass drownproofing, but miss the train that Skulker/Technus and Spectra/Desiree took, putting the boyfriend/girlfriend team in last place.

Back in Tokyo, Paulina volunteers to do the Road Block for her team. She finishes quickly and heads off to Hiroshima. Then it is Lancer's turn, and he is amazed at the amount of food on his plate.

"Grapes of Wrath, that's a lot of sushi!" Lancer exclaims.

"But we must hurry!" Jazz urges, "There are other teams coming in!"

Indeed, Jack and Maddie have made it, with Jack, seeing as how he loves to eat, volunteering to go for his team. As the two men race to down the sushi, Vlad and Dan check in in Hiroshima.

"Vlad and Dan, you're team number three."

In Tokyo, it is a dead heat to down the sushi. Jack is the more experienced eater, though, and finishes as Lancer still has 3 rolls to go. Jack and Maddie take off for Hiroshima in 6th. Meanwhile, their son and his friend are checking into the Pit Stop.

"Danny and Sam, you're team number four."

They hug to celebrate surviving the first Pit Stop. Phil notices that the two are holding hands tightly at the mat.

"It seems like you two really like each other," Phil says.

"Yep, nothing more than friends!" Danny says. "Nothing more."

"Again," Sam thinks to herself, "If he only knew what I was thinking."

On the mat, she breathes in like she's about to say something, but she refrains. Perhaps now isn't the right time.

Back in Tokyo, Lancer finishes up and leaves in 7th. A few minutes later, Spectra and Desiree find the restaurant. Desiree agrees to go for her team. Meanwhile, Skulker and Technus become lost in Tokyo.

"I thought that you were a built in GPS unit!" Skulker yells.

"But not for Japan!" Technus responds, "Just for the United States!"

As they continue to struggle, Desiree finishes up in average time and leaves in 8th place. Meanwhile, Johnny and Kitty arrive at the Tokyo Train Station and bolt for the restaurant. They find it quickly, arriving at the same time as Skulker and Technus. Technus and Johnny agree to go for their teams as the race to stay alive begins.

Over in Hiroshima, three more teams check in during Technus and Johnny's battle.

"Dash and Paulina, you're team number five."

"Jack and Maddie, you're team number six."

"Jazz and Lancer, you're team number seven."

Back in Tokyo, each team has one more roll to go. Both Technus and Johnny are miserable.

"You can do it, babe!" Kitty screams. "Just suck it up!"

Kitty's words give Johnny more motivation. He finishes up slightly ahead of Technus. Both teams find their way to the train station at the same time, as both of them get on the same train.

As that train nears Hiroshima, another team checks in.

"Spectra and Desiree, you're team number eight."

The final train reaches the station. Johnny and Kitty walk out, but their opponents have disappeared.

"Where did they go?" Kitty wonders.

"I don't know," Johnny answers. "Maybe they got off at the wrong stop."

But in actuality, Skulker and Technus have played this race smart. As soon as their train hit the Hiroshima city limits, a good mile and a half from the train station, Skulker and Technus went intangible, flying out of the train. That let the team fly by their own free will, giving them the advantage to avoid elimination.

"Skulker and Technus, you're team number nine."

10 minutes later, Johnny and Kitty fly in and receive the bad news.

"Johnny and Kitty, you are the last team to arrive," Phil says. "I'm sorry to tell you that you've both been eliminated from the race."

"That's what you get when you race with a punk like Johnny!" Kitty says, trying to force blame.

"But baby..." Johnny says.

"No buts! When we get back to the Ghost Zone, we are so done!"

Johnny and Kitty hang their heads and fly back to America.

So Leg 2 is over, with Ember and Youngblood in the lead. In 12 hours it all begins again. Where will they head to in the next leg? Find out soon in Leg 3...


	3. Leg 3: Japan to Australia

LEG 3

Phil introduces the audience to the next leg.

"This is Hiroshima, Japan. In 1945, it was the site where the United States ended World War II. Now, at the site of the impact, it became the first pit stop in a race around the world. Teams arrived here at the end of the last leg for a 12 hour mandatory rest period, allowing them to eat, sleep, and mingle with the other teams. The 9 teams waiting here have no idea what's in store for them. They have to figure out for themselves how to get to the next yellow and white route marker by finding clues they'll find in sealed envelopes."

"Can the teams with ghost powers continue to use those powers to their advantage? Will Sam admit to Danny her true feelings? And will Skulker and Technus recover from last place?"

"Ember and Youngblood, who were the first to arrive at 3:08pm, will depart at 3:08am."

Ember and Youngblood open the clue.

ROUTE MARKER 3.1: Fly to Sydney, Australia and find the world-famous Sydney Opera House. You may not use ghost powers to fly to Sydney but once you hit the city limits, you may use ghost powers to your heart's content. You have $309 for this leg of the race.

"Let's go!" Ember says.

They figure that Tokyo will give them the most flight options. They get in the bullet train and head for Tokyo as Tucker/Valerie and Vlad/Dan receive their clue in Hiroshima. Tucker looks at his PDA and finds a flight departing in 5 hours from Osaka.

"Let's go out of Osaka," Tucker says to Valerie, "That should get us a good lead."

"I agree," Valerie says, "and you know those punks Vlad and Dan will try for Tokyo."

But unbeknownst to Valerie and Tucker, Vlad was watching the PDA while invisible. He and Dan, who is also invisible, get on the same train as Valerie and Tucker and head for Osaka.

Meanwhile, Danny and Sam and Dash and Paulina get started. They head to a travel agency in Osaka and find that flight. They each head to Osaka on the same train. During the ride, Danny and Sam comfortably sit close to each other, a motion that Dash finds unusual.

"Geeks!" Dash scoffs.

"Blegh, I could do a lot better than that, Sam," Paulina adds. "But I guess that's why you're Sam."

Sam just glares back.

"I hate them," Sam says about Dash and Paulina in her confessional, "I wish they would just go out in this leg."

Jack/Maddie, Jazz/Lancer, Spectra/Desiree, and Skulker/Technus depart within the next hour, also spotting the Osaka flight. Meanwhile, Ember and Youngblood wind up in Tokyo, 2.5 hours before the Osaka flight departs. They see the Osaka flight and curse themselves.

"Can we get back there in time?" Youngblood wonders.

"We're going to darn well try," Ember responds.

They rush back to Osaka, making it with mere minutes to spare. All 9 teams wind up on even footing on the same flight to Australia.

16 hours later, the teams land in Sydney. The city limits are still 20 miles away, meaning no ghost powers yet. Danny and Sam get out of customs first and grab the first taxi. They debate whether or not to use ghost powers.

"Let's just use the taxi. Traffic doesn't look that bad," Sam argues.

"But...ghost powers...fly invisible!" Danny says.

Sam ignores him, perhaps trying to play hard-to-get with him. Danny sits there, disappointed.

Meanwhile, the other ghost pairs get in taxis and head for Sydney. Vlad/Dan, Ember/Youngblood, Spectra/Desiree, and Skulker/Technus try to catch up to the high school best friends in the lead but to no avail. Then the other four teams hit the limits. The teams take off and search for the Opera House. In the taxi, Danny's ghost sense goes off and Sam sees it.

"You win, Danny." Sam says in humility.

She covers Danny with her body, letting him change into Danny Phantom. The taxi driver is shocked at what he sees in his rear view mirror.

"What a pair of lovebirds," the taxi driver says.

"We're not lovebirds!" Sam responds.

"Believe me," Danny says in his confessional, still naïve of Sam's intentions, "it was a fake-out make-out."

Danny then turns invisible and takes Sam with him. They then fly out of the taxi. Back by the airport, traffic has gotten worse, much to the dismay of Tucker/Valerie, Dash/Paulina, Jack/Maddie, and Jazz/Lancer.

"Look," Jack says to the taxi driver, "I'll give you $100 US more if you can get us out of this traffic."  
"Jack," Maddie worries, "we need the money."

"Stop your nagging!"

Jack gives the taxi driver more money, propelling them into 6th place. Back downtown, Vlad and Dan reach the Opera House first.

ROUTE MARKER 3.2: Make your way to the Manly District. Outside Red Balloon Days Parasailing, you will find your next clue. Ghost powers allowed to get there.

Vlad and Dan take off for the Manly District. Ember and Youngblood reach the Route Marker shortly thereafter and head after them.

Danny and Sam are able to go faster now that they are in the air. They reach the route marker in third. Spectra and Desiree and Skulker and Technus arrive simultaneously in fourth place.

Meanwhile, Jack's strategy seems to have paid off. He and Maddie reach the opera house in sixth place as Vlad and Dan reach RBD Parasailing. They open the clue to reveal a Detour.

DETOUR 3: Through the Air or Through the Sea

Through the Air: Take this parasail out to 2000 feet up and parasail down to a target area 5 miles away where you will receive your next clue.

Through the Sea: You must water-ski through 5 gates arranged in a slalom pattern. Once you complete it, you will be taken to the target area where you will receive your next clue.

Ghost powers may not be used for either challenge.

"Would you like to try the air?" Vlad suggests.

"Might as well," Dan responds. "We're there all the time."

As they head off for the plane that will take them up, Danny and Sam get ahead of Ember and Youngblood by flying invisibly. They get to the Detour in second place and choose air as well. Ember and Youngblood arrive third and go for sea, given their experience on the ocean.

Meanwhile, Jazz and Lancer arrive at the Opera House in seventh. Dash and Paulina arrive eighth and Tucker and Valerie arrive last. All of these teams get back in their taxis and head for the Manly District.

Above the target area, Vlad and Dan begin their descent. It is an exhilarating experience. Vlad begins to force the parasail down. It crashes, meaning $100 US comes out of their pocket to fix the parasail. After they pay up, they receive their next clue.

ROUTE MARKER 3.3: Head to the beach nearest the Great Barrier Reef to find your next clue. Ghost powers not allowed, you must use one of the SUVs provided to drive there.

Vlad and Dan head for the beach. Meanwhile, Danny and Sam are next in the air, and Sam finds the trip to be romantic.

"Ah, that was so dreamy," Sam says in her confessional. "Just him and me, with the sun in the background, like that time when we were investigating Ember."

Note: Fanning the Flames reference there

They land safely, receive the clue, and head for the Reef. Ember and Youngblood arrive shortly thereafter, with salt water in their eyes from the stunt work on the sea.

"Maybe that wasn't the best idea," Ember says. "That salt water really stings."

"Yeah," Youngblood responds, "and I'm normally used to salt water!"

They grab the clue and head off. As the leaders head for the reef, the other two ghost teams arrive at the Detour. Spectra and Desiree head for the Sea, while Skulker and Technus head for the air. Back on the roads, a good taxi battle develops for the last four positions between Jack/Maddie, Jazz/Lancer, Dash/Paulina, and Tucker/Valerie.

"The Fast and The Furious!" Lancer exclaims. "We need to get there before them."

"Don't worry," Jazz responds, "We have plenty of money to give to the taxi driver."

"We have only enough to pay this taxi driver, not give any extra incentive!" Jack exclaims.

"Well, maybe if you didn't waste the money beforehand..." Maddie scolds.

As a result, the married ghost hunters drop behind. Jazz and Lancer accelerate into sixth place at the Detour and choose air.

Shortly behind, Tucker and Valerie arrive 7th and choose sea. Dash and Paulina arrive 8th and choose air.

Meanwhile, up by the Great Barrier Reef, Vlad and Dan reach the next Route Marker. It is a Road Block.

ROAD BLOCK 3: Who wants to swim along the fishes?

"You do it," Vlad suggests.

"Ok."

ROAD BLOCK 3 OPENED: You will scuba in the middle of the reef amongst a field of deadly jellyfish. You will be wearing full body protective gear, so there is no risk of stinging. Among this 1 square mile area are 50 Fenton Thermoses. Only 15 contain your next clue. If you open an empty one, get up and try again. No ghost powers allowed.

"This should be simple," Dan confidently says.

He swims out to the target area. As Vlad watches from the shore, Danny and Sam, invisible sneak up on Dan. Sam decides to have a little fun with Vlad.

"BOOO!"

Dan jumps a dozen feet in the air as Danny and Sam, now visible, laugh uncontrollably. Danny then turns back into his human self and grabs the clue. Sam decides to go through the Road Block, given her love for animals. Ember and Youngblood arrive shortly thereafter and Ember chooses to do the Road Block.

Back in the Manly District, Spectra and Desiree get through their slalom course. They grab the clue and head for the Reef. Skulker and Technus land shortly thereafter and head for the Reef. As Jazz and Lancer prepare to land, Jack and Maddie arrive in last place at the Detour. They choose to take to the air. Meanwhile, the teacher and star student land at the target zone and take off for the reef.

Back at the Reef, Sam, Ember, and Dan all swim amongst the area, their body parts swimming dangerously close to the jellyfish. Suddenly, Sam spots a thermos. She hopes she's lucky enough to find the right one. She opens it. There's a clue inside.

"Yes, we got it!" Sam exclaims.

"Better than what I can say," Dan disappointingly reacts, as he has found an empty Thermos.

Sam races back to shore and opens it alongside Danny.

ROUTE MARKER 3.4: Make your way to the next pit stop, 3 miles down the beach at a campsite. You must run there with your heavy backpacks on, no ghost powers allowed. Warning: Last team to check in may be eliminated.

Danny and Sam race for Phil while in the water, Ember has also gotten lucky with her first Thermos. She races back to shore and joins Youngblood for a race to the finish.

Back in Manly, Dash and Paulina arrive at the target area. They call for a taxi and head for the reef. Tucker and Valerie arrive shortly afterwards and race Dash and Paulina. Meanwhile, the troubles for Jack and Maddie continue as a sudden updraft has come in, keeping them in the air longer. After 15 minutes of frustration, Jack and Maddie find the target area, land, and set off for the Reef.

But in the meantime, their son is in a good footrace with Ember and Youngblood.

"Sam, let me carry you on my back!" Danny says to the tiring Sam.

"Are you sure you can handle it?" Sam wonders aloud.

"Believe me, there's nothing to worry about!" Danny says.

He picks up Sam and he uses all of his human strength to get to the mat ahead of Ember and Youngblood. The ghost pirates stomp their foot in the ground as Phil welcomes the winners.

"Danny and Sam," Phil says, "you're team #1!"

They cheer and hug. Then they both blush.

"Now I've got some good news for you. As winners of this third leg of the race, you've won a European Excursion thanks to our friends at British Airways which you can enjoy after the race."

Then he welcomes the runners-up.

"Ember and Youngblood, you're team #2."

Ember and Youngblood high-five each other, knowing that first-second in the first two pit stops is not a bad result at all.

A few minutes later, Dan, who finally found the right Thermos while Danny and Ember were in the footrace, arrives at the pit stop with Vlad.

"Dan and Vlad, you're team #3."

Back at the Road Block, Skulker and Technus get there a few minutes ahead of Spectra and Desiree. Skulker and Desiree volunteer their services in this Road Block. As they swim off, Jazz and Lancer, helped by a fast taxi driver, arrives. Jazz, being the younger of the two, agrees to do it.

"Now I wonder which Thermos I would hide in if I was a clue," Jazz ponders to herself. She then notices a jellyfish hovering around a Thermos. "Well if this isn't a sign, I don't know what is."

She opens the Thermos. A clue is indeed inside. As Jazz rushes back to Lancer, Desiree finds the clue as well. They both start their race for the pit stop. As they run down the beach, Dash and Paulina arrive at the Road Block. Dash is pretty much forced to do it, considering that Paulina had already done two. Dash then notices Jazz running down the beach. Dash watches dreamily for a second before Paulina snaps him out of it.

"Don't you realize that she is a geek?" Paulina says.

"Oh yeah," Dash responds. "Thank you for reminding me. Geek!"

"Loser!" Jazz shouts back.

"Ow," Dash responds, "my pride."

Dash splashes into the water just as Skulker returns with a clue. They race for the pit stop but have no chance to catch up to the foot race for fourth. At the last minute, Lancer's legs give out on him.

"Seabiscuit!" Lancer exclaims, "I can't run any farther."

"Yes you can," Jazz responds, trying to encourage him.

But apparently, no he could not, as Spectra and Desiree reach the mat about a minute ahead of their competitors.

"Spectra and Desiree, you're Team #4."

Then Jazz and Lancer limp in.

"Jazz and Lancer, you're Team #5."

Back in the sea, Dash finds his clue after several unsuccessful attempts. The misses by Dash have allowed Tucker and Valerie to reach the Road Block. Like Dash, Tucker is forced to do the Road Block since Valerie has already done two. The two pass each other on the beach as Dash and Paulina head for the mat. Luckily, the athletic team covers the 3 miles in no time flat, but not fast enough to catch up to Skulker and Technus.

"Skulker and Technus, you're Team #6."

"Dash and Paulina, you're Team #7."

Back in the water, Tucker, afraid to get near a jellyfish, goes for the Thermos farthest from the concentration of man-o-wars. The Thermos has a clue. He heads for the shore as Jack and Maddie, cursed by having a lame taxi driver, finally arrive. Maddie agrees to do it. She gets in the water as Tucker returns.

"Don't give up, Maddie," Jack encourages, "we can still catch them."

But it's all for naught as Tucker and Valerie find the mat as Maddie finds the clue.

"Tucker and Valerie, you're Team #8."

Now Jack and Maddie know they are in last place. They use the time to have a romantic 3-mile walk on the beach. They know that even though they made mistakes, they were still in love with each other. After an hour-long walk, they finally reach the mat where Phil gives them the inevitable news.

"Jack and Maddie, you're the last team to arrive. And I'm sorry to tell you that you've both been eliminated from the race."

"That's ok, Phil," Jack reacts, "we had such a great time. If only one of those ghost teams don't win, we'll be ok."

"Besides," Maddie adds, "the people in Amity Park need us to fight ghosts right now."

They kiss and head for the airport and home.

And that's Leg 3. Where will they head next? Find out next week.


	4. Leg 4: Australia to Singapore

LEG #4

Phil introduces the audience to the next leg.

"This is the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia. Known for its unique ocean life and coral formations, it is widely considered one of the most beautiful sites in the world. And on the beach, this campsite was the second pit stop in a race around the world.

"Teams arrived here at the end of the last leg for a mandatory rest period. The eight teams waiting here have no idea what's in store for them. They have to figure out for themselves how to get to the next yellow and red route marker by solving clues they'll find in sealed envelopes.

"Will Danny and Sam continue to use their friendship to remain in the lead? Will the ghost pairings continue to have the advantage? And will Tucker and Valerie get the technological edge to get out of last place?

"Danny and Sam, who were the first to arrive at 4:09pm, will depart at 4:09am."

ROUTE MARKER 4.1: Make your way to Cairns, Australia. Once you reach the airport, sign up for one of three charter flights leaving 45 minutes apart. Ghost powers may be used to reach Cairns. You have $177 for this leg of the race.

Little do the teams know at this point that those flights depart at 10:00am, 10:45am, and 11:30am. They also don't know the destination at this point. Danny goes ghost, grabs Sam, and they take off for Cairns. Meanwhile, the next two teams get ready to start. Ember/Youngblood and Vlad/Dan grab their clues and fly off to Cairns.

Danny and Sam, still in the lead, quickly approach Cairns and find the 10:00am time slot. They are the first to sign up for the lead charter flight. Ember/Youngblood and Vlad/Dan also grab the 10:00am flight.

Back at the reef, Spectra/Desiree and Jazz/Lancer meet up shortly after taking off in 4th and 5th respectively. They agree to get an alliance going.

"We won't betray you if you help us get to Cairns through the air," Jazz says. "In return, we will share our brain power with you."

"Ok," Desiree says.

Spectra reluctantly agrees.

"Is she trying to say we're stupid?" Spectra says in her confessional. "I mean, I got a whole school depressed once!"

The ghost girls pick up Jazz and Lancer and set off for Cairns. Skulker and Technus take off shortly thereafter in 7th.

In Cairns, Spectra/Desiree and Jazz/Lancer land to grab the 10:45am time slot. Skulker and Technus are too late to grab that time and must resort to the 11:30am slot. They curse themselves for being at the back of the pack yet again. Back at the Reef, Dash/Paulina and Tucker/Valerie get in the same taxi bound for Cairns. They get to Cairns at 9:30am and sign up for the 11:30am time slot.

At 9:55am, Danny/Sam, Ember/Youngblood, and Vlad/Dan got into the plane. They were surprised to see that all the windows were blacked out.

"I actually liked the intrigue of not knowing where we were going," Ember says in her confessional. "Mum was the word from our cameraman too. This was going to be a lot of fun."

Spectra/Desiree and Jazz/Lancer took off 45 minutes later. Meanwhile, a bit of deal-making was going on in Cairns.

"Ok, Valerie," Dash offers, "we want you to be in the cool group again. We need to get out of last place."

"But I'm doing just great with Tucker," Valerie reacts, nervous about joining an alliance.

Tucker blushes. He's always had an attraction to Valerie.

"Fine, don't join our group," the stuck-up Paulina says, "We'll just treat you the same way we treat Danny at school."

Fearing the consequences of getting gravy shampoo, Valerie joins the alliance.

"The first chance we get," Dash whispers to Paulina, "cut them off."

The new alliance, along with Skulker and Technus, take off in the final charter plane.

Meanwhile, in the air, Danny/Sam, Ember/Youngblood, and Vlad/Dan near their destination.

"When we got close to the city, they blindfolded all of us," Sam says in her post-leg confessional. "They wanted to make it a complete mystery coming into the destination."

The blindfolded teams land in the city in question and are lead to the next route marker by a guide. Once they receive their next clue, their blindfolds are taken off. They are at a rental car place.

ROUTE MARKER 4.2: Welcome to Singapore! Take your rental car and drive around the city to find the Mustafa Centre, where you will receive your next clue. You must drive there, no ghost powers allowed. Warning: Yield Ahead.

Vlad and Dan drive off in first place. Following close behind are Danny and Sam and Ember and Youngblood. Danny, once again in human form, worries about the upcoming Yield.

"Oh, I hope they don't try to yield us," Danny says to Sam. "You know how both Vlad and Dan hate my guts."

As they drive off and encounter rush-hour traffic in Singapore, the 2nd flight, consisting of Spectra/Desiree and Jazz/Lancer, lands at the airport. After reading the clue, the ghost girls let the smart ones take the lead.

"You guys go ahead," Spectra says, "We'll follow you."

"Ok," Lancer says, "And I think we might've found a shortcut around the traffic."

They try it out, which actually takes the perimeter around Singapore Island. But as they approach the destination, Vlad and Dan arrive at the Mustafa Centre. But before approaching the Route Marker, they must first stop by the Yield. This is the first of only 3 Yields in the entire race. At this specific point on the race course, any one team can force any team behind them to Yield, that is, stop racing for a predetermined amount of time. Any team that has been forced to yield must turn an hourglass over and wait for the sand to run out before they can continue on. Also, any team can only use their Yield power once during the entire race, so they need to determine when it is in their best interest to use it. In this Yield, it would take 20 minutes for the sand to run out.

"I wanted to yield Danny and Sam so bad," Vlad says in his confessional, "but we knew that we might need the Yield later in the race, so we declined it."

Vlad and Dan pass on using the Yield and head for the Route Marker. It is a Detour.

DETOUR 4: Snap or Lap

Snap: Head to the Raffles Hotel and take the picture of a person who is known for having pictures taken of him.

Lap: Head to Changi High School and run a lap at the track in under 2 minutes.

Ghost powers may not be used in the challenge, you must drive to the location.

Snap: easier to find, no work, but objective not clearly known

Lap: obscure to find, plenty of work, but objective clearly known

Vlad and Dan take the digital camera provided and work on Snap. Jazz/Lancer and Spectra/Desiree arrive closely behind. Vlad spots the two teams and wonders how they could've caught up so quickly. Neither of the two latest arrivals choose to use the Yield. Both Jazz/Lancer and Spectra/Desiree go to attempt Lap.

Back at the airport, the final flight arrives, holding Skulker/Technus, Dash/Paulina, and Tucker/Valerie. They set off for Mustafa, but traffic has become a nightmare. Dash suggests that it might be time to try a desperate measure or two.

"As soon as we get to the Yield," Dash says, "yield Dumb and Dumber."

"Gotcha," Paulina reacts.

Meanwhile, Danny and Sam arrive at Mustafa. Relieved that they have not been yielded, the high school friends choose not to yield anybody and set off to run a Lap. Ember and Youngblood arrive shortly thereafter and attempt Snap. At the same time, a visitor has helped the leaders.

"You take a left here," the local says.

"Thanks," Dan reacts. "10 years from now, when I take over the world, Singapore will be spared."

He also finds out from the local that the person that he needs to take a picture of the doorman. Vlad and Dan arrive quickly at the destination and do just that to receive their next clue.

ROUTE MARKER 4.4: Make your way across town to the Imperial Herbal Kitchen where you will receive your next clue. You must drive, no ghost powers.

Vlad and Dan head off for the Kitchen as the Lancer/Desiree alliance reaches the high school after much searching. Jazz is able to finish the lap fast, while the other three barely break 2 minutes. They each receive their clue and head off for the Kitchen.

Meanwhile, Dash and Paulina approach the Mustafa Centre. They know full well who they will Yield now. They step on the Yield mat.

"We yield..."

"Skulker and Technus."

They choose to honor their alliance by yielding Skulker and Technus. They reach the Detour and choose Lap.

At the high school, Danny and Sam complete a lap quickly. They receive the clue and set off for the Kitchen. Meanwhile, finding the Raffles is turning out to be a challenge for Ember and Youngblood.

"No one knows the language here," Ember says. "It's as if we are in another dimension."

Finally, they find someone who speaks English. He agrees to accompany the duo for the rest of the leg.

Meanwhile, back at Mustafa, Skulker and Technus arrive to find out they have been yielded.

"Rats!" Skulker says. "If we get a chance, screw up Dash and Paulina."

As they stay at the Yield, Tucker and Valerie pass them up. They agree to go for Snap. Meanwhile, Dash and Paulina finish the Lap quickly, as both are quite athletic. They set off for the Kitchen in 5th place. At the same time, Vlad and Dan approach the kitchen. They receive the clue and see the Road Block.

ROAD BLOCK 4: Who could be on Fear Factor?

"You could," Dan says. "You look like a vampire anyways."

Vlad scoffs and opens the clue.

ROAD BLOCK 4 OPENED: Eat the special here at the Imperial Herbal Kitchen. You will receive your next clue when you finish. No ghost powers.

What they don't know until they sit down is that the special involves eating fried scorpions and ants. Vlad sits down and uncovers the dish. Without wincing, Vlad starts on his dish.

At the same time, the frustration is over for Ember and Youngblood as they find the doorman at the Raffles. They take off in 6th. Back at the Yield, the hourglass is about to run out on Skulker and Technus. The time runs out and they open the Detour, now firmly in last place. They opt for lap just as Tucker and Valerie find their doorman. They head for the kitchen in 7th as the Spectra/Desiree/Jazz/Lancer alliance reaches the Road Block. Lancer and Spectra agree to do it for their teams, since it is their turn. Inside, Vlad finishes up.

"Wow, you are a monster!" Dan says.

"Thanks," Vlad reacts, "I try."

They open up their clue.

ROUTE MARKER 4.5: Make your way to the next pit stop: The Asian Civilisations Museum. Ghost powers are allowed to get there. Warning: last team to check in may be eliminated.

Feeling the possibility of getting there first, Vlad and Dan take off quickly as Spectra and Lancer see the grossness of their situations.

"The Hunchback of Notre Dame!" Lancer exclaims. "We have to eat that?"

Lancer bites the bullet and digs in. Spectra does the same as Danny and Sam arrive at the Kitchen. Sam looks in the window as Danny opens the clue.

"No chance," Sam exclaims.

Danny glares at his partner suspiciously and walks in. As he does that, Skulker and Technus complete their lap and depart for the Kitchen.

"We have no chance," the pessimistic Technus says.

"Don't worry, Tech," Skulker answers, "we will NOT give up!"

As Danny is halfway done, Lancer finishes up slightly ahead of Spectra. He and Jazz take off in 2nd, while Spectra and Desiree depart shortly thereafter in 3rd. Meanwhile, Vlad and Dan fly to the Asian Civilisations Museum and find the mat quickly.

"Vlad and Dan," Phil says, "you're Team #1!"

Vlad and Dan celebrate as they receive a $25,000 Best Buy gift card for coming in first.

Back at the Kitchen, Danny finishes up. He and Sam literally take off as Danny goes ghost and invisible. They fly through the air. At the mat, Jazz and Lancer wait for their alliance partners Spectra and Desiree. They step on the mat simultaneously.

"Jazz and Lancer, Spectra and Desiree, you're teams #2 and 3."

"I don't know yet if this alliance will work out all the way to the finish line," Spectra says in her confessional, "but it sure is working out right now. Let's see how long we can hold on."

A few minutes later, Danny and Sam fly in.

"Danny and Sam, you're team #4."

Danny and Sam hug.

"It seems like you're getting closer," Phil says to Danny.

"Closer?" Danny reacts, still thinking platonically. "No..."

As Danny and Sam check in, the race to avoid elimination is on as Ember/Youngblood, Dash/Paulina, and Tucker/Valerie arrive at the kitchen simultaneously. Youngblood, Dash, and Tucker agree to do the Road Block for their teams. Meanwhile, Skulker and Technus's day just get worse as they become lost in the maze of Singapore streets.

"This is hopeless," Technus continues, resigning himself to their fate.

Suddenly, the kitchen pops up in front of them.

"See?" Skulker reassures. "You shouldn't be so pessimistic."

He then sees the three teams heading out of the restaurant, as the men scoff at the grossness of the task.

"Now you can be more pessimistic," Skulker says.

Technus agrees to do the Road Block. He is shocked to see what he's got to eat.

"You mean..."

"Yes," the restaurant owner says.

"Oh, man..."

Meanwhile, the race for 5th place is on. Ember and Youngblood seem confident.

"We should get this easy," Ember says. "We are flying through the air, they can't. This'll be simple."

But in reality, the Dash/Paulina/Tucker/Valerie alliance seems to be working. They rush through the city together, and end up on the mat together ahead of the ghost pirates.

"Dash and Paulina, Tucker and Valerie, you are teams #5 and 6."

In the meantime, Ember and Youngblood have a hard time finding the museum. This gives the squeamish and pessimistic Technus a chance to finish up the Road Block. Dejectedly, they head for the Museum to accept their fate. Meanwhile, Ember and Youngblood realize that they are way off course.

"10 miles that way?" Ember scoffs.

"Yep," their guide for the leg says. "My bad."

"Aargh!" Youngblood answers. "We'll get there quicker this way!"

They head for the Museum downtown. Skulker and Technus find it on the map. As they approach, they see Ember and Youngblood approaching.

"It's a footrace!" Technus says. "We can still beat them!"

They race for the mat 100 meters away, but the extra weight of Technus holds the team back. Ember and Youngblood step on the mat first.

"Ember and Youngblood, you're the...team #7."

Ember and Youngblood breathe a sigh of relief as Skulker and Technus approach.

"Skulker and Technus, you're the last team to arrive. I'm sorry to tell you that you've both been eliminated from the race."

"We should've been near the front," Skulker says. "If it wasn't for that Yield..."

"Oh well, those are the turns of the game," Technus answers. "Besides, we have better things to do with our time, like plot to destroy Danny!"

They return to the Ghost Zone to plot.

Leg 4 is over. Where will they head next? Find out in Leg 5...


	5. Leg 5: Singapore to Kenya

LEG #5

"This is Singapore, one of the most vibrant cities in Southern Asia. In the middle of town, the Asian Civilisations Museum, the 3rd pit stop in a race around the world. Teams arrived here at the end of the last leg for a mandatory rest period. Will the alliances formed in the last leg hold together, and will Vlad and Dan continue to work together well to remain in the lead? Vlad and Dan, who were the first to arrive at 5:16pm, will depart at 5:16am."

ROUTE MARKER 5.1: Make your way to Nairobi, Kenya. Outside the airport, you will find your next clue. Ghost powers are allowed to get to whatever airport you choose to use to get to Kenya, but you must fly into Nairobi. You have $660 for this leg of the race.

Vlad and Dan depart for Singapore Airport, figuring that they would get the quickest flight. At the mat, Jazz/Lancer and Spectra/Desiree take off simultaneously.

"Now let's think about this," Jazz says. "They never said we had to use Singapore. Let's go to the Internet and find the quickest flight."

They find an Internet café as Danny and Sam start off in 4th. Not on the same wavelength as Jazz, the high school friends take off for Singapore Airport. Meanwhile, Vlad and Dan find seemingly the fastest flight to Nairobi.

"It's a South African flight through Johannesburg," Vlad says to the camera, "We'll get there first!"

But little do they know what Jazz has found in the café.

"If we can get to Hong Kong, we can get there 3 hours before the South African flight because the Cathay Pacific flight in Hong Kong is non-stop," Jazz says.

"And since you found these tickets," Spectra adds, "we'll be happy to fly you there."

"Superman Action Comics #1!" Lancer exclaims. "What are we waiting for?"

Jazz reserves the tickets online. Spectra and Desiree then turn the entire group invisible and take off for Hong Kong.

Dash and Paulina and Tucker and Valerie take off for the Singapore Airport and find the South African flight. They take the tickets, along with Danny and Sam. Ember and Youngblood start out in last place and get the same flight as well. As they wait for the flight, they worry about the lack of two teams.

"I wonder where the Smarts and the Brain Manipulators went," Danny says. "They haven't gotten here yet."

"Hopefully they didn't get a better flight," Ember reacts.

Their worries are well-guided. Jazz, Lancer, Spectra, and Desiree arrive in Hong Kong just in time to clear customs for the flight. They take the flight and get into the lead. The other teams get on the flight through Johannesburg.

Over 24 hours later, the lead teams arrive in Nairobi. Jazz and Lancer and Spectra and Desiree find the Route Marker outside customs.

ROUTE MARKER 5.2: Find Meru National Park in Meru, Kenya. At the visitor center, you will find your next clue. Ghost powers allowed to get there.

A green piece of paper slips out with the Route Marker. It is a Fast Forward clue, the first of only two in the entire race. The first team (and only that team) that finds the Fast Forward can skip all tasks and head directly to the pit stop. However, once a team finds a Fast Forward, they can never use one again for the rest of the race, so they need to decide when it is most advantageous to go for it.

FAST FORWARD 1: Head to Mt. Elgon, Kenya and search over 25 square miles of rugged land to claim the Fast Forward. No ghost powers allowed once you get to the mountain.

What teams don't know is that the Fast Forward is at the most remote place of the public area of the mountain.

Easily in the lead, both teams decide to save their FF power for later in the race and head for Meru.

But other teams still in the air could still use it. Will they? Find out in the next update...

The leaders reach Meru quickly. At the visitor center, they encounter a Road Block.

ROAD BLOCK 5: Who wants to see the animals?

"I'll do it," Jazz says.

"Likewise," Desiree adds.

ROAD BLOCK 5 OPENED: You must photograph 30 wildebeests during the safari using this digital camera. If you cannot get the 30 during one 30-minute safari, you must go to the end of the line and do it again. Once you show the evidence to the Park Ranger, he will give you your next clue. No ghost powers.

Jazz and Desiree take off in the same car. Each of them take a side of the car. Jazz gets 12 right away while Desiree can only get 6. Meanwhile, back in Nairobi, the 2nd flight arrives. All of the teams get there simultaneously. Most of the teams think they are ahead of the other two teams and dismiss the Fast Forward in preference of Meru. But Danny and Sam see it differently.

"What if those teams got ahead of us?" Danny ponders. "We'd be fighting to avoid last instead of fighting for first."

"Exactly!" Sam responds. "Let's do the Fast Forward. I love your smarts, Danny."

Danny smiles back. He turns into Danny Phantom and they take off invisibly for Mt. Elgon.

Meanwhile, back at Meru, Jazz has already got her 30. Desiree has 29 as they approach the final turn of the safari route. Suddenly, Desiree sees one. She gets the camera ready. She captures it! The two ladies have successfully completed the Road Block. They get their clues from the Park Ranger.

ROUTE MARKER 5.3: Make your way to Lake Victoria, Kenya and find Lake Victoria Park to receive your next clue. Ghost powers allowed.

The leaders continue to work together to fly to Lake Victoria, on the opposite side of the country. As they near Lake Victoria, Vlad and Dan fly to Meru first. Dan agrees to do the Road Block and gets a safari by himself. Meanwhile, Ember and Youngblood have made a deal with Tucker and Valerie.

"You let us use your PDA, we fly you back into this game," Ember suggests.

"Uh, we already have a pending alliance though..." Tucker reacts.

"Shh! We had every intention of betraying them." Valerie says.

Ember and Tucker shake on the deal. They all take off together and continue on to Meru.

At the other end of the country, Danny and Sam arrive at Mt. Elgon. Danny changes back into his human form and he and Sam set off onto the mountain. They don't immediately see it.

"Where could it be!" Sam says.

"Don't worry," Danny reassures to the panicking Sam. "We will find it."

Sam smiles. Just then, she spots something in the corner of her eye.

"Could that be...it is! The clue box!"

It is in a precarious spot on the edge of a 4000 foot high cliff. And since ghost powers weren't allowed, the friends had to come up with a good plan.

"Ok, I got an idea," Danny says, "but you have to trust me. I'm gonna hold your feet from above and you will pick up the clue."

"Gee, does that sound safe?" Sam questions.

"Trust me; I will never let you go."

Blushing, Sam takes off her potentially slippery shoes and lets Danny grab her feet. She is lowered into the pit. Using strictly human power, Danny holds on with all his might. She reaches as far as she can and she grabs the Fast Forward.

"Woo-hoo! We got it!" Danny exclaims.

He pulls Sam up. They hug for a long time to celebrate, more romantically than before.

"Uh, you want to open it up?" Danny says, blushing.

"Sure," Sam says.

FAST FORWARD ROUTE MARKER: Congratulations on grabbing the Fast Forward. Now you may head directly to the Pit Stop: The Mombasa Fort NM in Mombasa, Kenya. Ghost powers allowed to get there.

Danny goes ghost and flies with Sam towards the pit stop.

Back at Meru, Dan has snapped the 30 wildebeests. He and Vlad take off for Lake Victoria and the Tucker/Valerie/Ember/Youngblood alliance arrives. Valerie and Ember agree to go for their teams. 30 miles away, Dash and Paulina, in a taxi, wonder what could've happened to their partners.

"I think their taxi got a flat," Paulina notes, remembering that Tucker and Valerie were on the side of the road, talking to thin air. But unbeknownst to Dash and Paulina, Tucker and Valerie were really in the earlier meeting with an invisible Ember and Youngblood.

Over at Lake Victoria, the alliance of Jazz/Lancer and Spectra/Desiree is continuing to perform brilliantly. They encounter a Detour at the lake's edge.

DETOUR 5: Drive some Nails or Drive some Balls

Drive some nails: Use these nails and hammers and put together this 12-piece wooden barrel. Then fill it with 40 gallons of water and wheel it 100 yards. The lumberjack will then give you the next clue.

Drive some balls: Hit a golf shot to hit a target 4 yards in diameter 175 yards away. Once you hit it 3 times, the range attendant will give you the next clue.

Ghost powers not allowed for either detour.

Unaware of Danny and Sam's Fast Forward success at this point, the alliance decides to split up and fight amongst themselves to let the best team finish first in the leg. Jazz and Lancer opt for Balls while Spectra and Desiree try for Nails.

Meanwhile, at the Road Block, Valerie and Ember shoot their pictures quickly. They get off the safari and are about to take off when they hear a car.

"That HAS to be Preppy and Dummy," Valerie says, referring to Dash and Paulina.

"Quick, hold on to my hands!" Spectra urges.

They do. All 4 turn invisible as Dash and Paulina arrive at the Road Block. Seeing as how no one else has arrived, Dash and Paulina take a moment to admire the view. Tucker tries to hold back his giggling as the invisible group takes off. Then the high school preps open the Road Block and Paulina agrees to do it, given her love for animals.

At the Pit Stop, Danny and Sam, holding hands tightly step onto the mat.

"Danny and Sam, you are Team #1!"

They cheer and hug.

"Now I've got some good news for you. As winners of this leg of the race, you have won a Caribbean cruise together compliments of Royal Caribbean, and you can enjoy that after the race."

Danny and Sam are ecstatic, but in a platonic way. For now.

Back at the Road Block, Spectra's barrel is not looking too good.

"That's not a barrel!" Desiree notes. "It's a monkey!"

"Oh," Spectra adds. "So that's why it wanted a banana."

Meanwhile, the shots are lining up well for the high school teacher and student. Lancer, as an avid golf enthusiast on the weekends, has already hit two beautiful shots, but as the wind picks up, the shots continue to fly left for Lancer. Jazz, in the meantime, calculates the trajectory of her shot. She lines up her 9th shot successfully. It's a hole-in-one! Jazz and Lancer cheer as they receive their next clue.

PIT STOP 5: Make your way to the next pit stop in Mombasa. It is the Mombasa Fort National Monument. No ghost powers are allowed, you may use the provided SUVs. Warning: Last team to check in may be eliminated.

NOTE: Danny and Sam were able to use ghost powers to fly to the Pit Stop because they earned that right through the Fast Forward.

"Aha, an equlilzer!" Lancer exclaims. "No ghost powers mean a better chance for us."

They hop in the SUV and embark for Mombasa. Meanwhile, back at Meru, Paulina has completed the Road Block. She and Dash look over their pictures for a minute, confident they are not last, and head towards Lake Victoria.

Back at the lake, Spectra and Desiree still aren't having any luck.

"Look at them!" Desiree says, referring to some locals nearby building a barrel.

"Shut up!" Spectra reacts. "I know what I'm doing!"

Meanwhile, Vlad and Dan have arrived. Seeing how the girls are struggling with Nails, the powerful evil ghosts try for some Golf. As they get ready to drive their first balls, Spectra finally understands the task. Now it is a race for what they think is 2nd place.

But in reality, 2nd place is about to be confirmed at the Pit Stop.

"Jazz and Lancer, you're team #2."

The team looks slightly disappointed, thinking that they were #1.

Back at Lake Victoria, Vlad has hit 2 perfect golf shots. Meanwhile, the barrel has been filled for Spectra and Desiree. They put it on the dolly and race towards the finish line. Dan gets the 3rd shot. He gets it within a yard! They get out of the Detour slightly ahead of Spectra and Desiree, who crossed the finish line about a minute after Dan hit the 3rd shot.

As they depart, the Tucker/Valerie/Ember/Youngblood alliance arrives at the Lake. The group decides to stick together and both go for Ball. Both finish quickly as Tucker figures out the trajectories on his PDA. They depart quickly, not wanting Dash and Paulina to see them.

In Mombasa, Spectra and Desiree have caught up to Vlad and Dan. It is a footrace to the mat. However, Spectra trips over her own two feet, leaving Vlad and Dan free and clear to get to the mat first.

"Vlad and Dan, you're Team #3."

"Spectra and Desiree, you're Team #4."

Meanwhile, Dash and Paulina arrive at the Detour. They finally take the time to look inside the Clue Box to see how many clues are left. They have the last one.

"Oh..." Paulina says.

"Darn." Dash adds.

They head for Balls and try to rush, totally aware of their mistake now. Meanwhile, at the Pit Stop, Tucker's alliance makes it to the mat.

"Tucker and Valerie, Ember and Youngblood, you are Teams #5 and #6."

Back at the Lake, aware of their fate, Dash and Paulina stop to admire the sunset. It is a memorable sight. They finish their task and drive off to Mombasa. They get to the mat at around 9:00pm local time, 3 hours behind everyone else.

"Dash and Paulina, you are the last team to arrive. And unfortunately, I'm sorry to tell you that you've both been eliminated from the race."

"Losers again," Dash reacts, "Just like my football team."

Disappointed, the team gets in a taxi and heads for the airport and home.

On the next episode of the Amazing Race:

In the Middle East, one Leap of Faith will test the courage of the teams.

A torturous trip through the desert will test the will power.

And will a hardship for Danny and Sam finally get Sam to admit what she's really thinking?

All this and more next week in Leg #6.


	6. Leg 6: Kenya to Saudi Arabia

"This is Kenya, one of the most bustling and exotic lands in all of Africa. And in the southern part of the country, Mombasa, and Mombasa Fort National Monument. This was the 4th pit stop in a race around the world. Teams arrived here at the end of the last leg for a mandatory rest period. Will Danny and Sam continue to use their positive attitude to their advantage and will the alliances already formed propel teams to the top? Danny and Sam, who were the first to arrive at 12:17pm, will depart at 12:17am."

ROUTE MARKER 6.1: Fly to Dubai, United Arab Emirates and find the Burg Al Dubai Hotel to receive your next clue. This is a No-Ghost Leg, meaning you may not use ghost powers for the entire leg. You have $98 for this leg of the race.

"No-Ghost Leg?" the pessimistic Sam worries. "Now we won't have much of a chance."

"I'm sure we'll get through it when I've got you," Danny reassures.

Sam smiles back. They get in a taxi and head for the airport.

Meanwhile, Jazz and Lancer depart in 2nd place. They decide to wait up for their alliance partners before continuing. In the meantime, Vlad and Dan depart in 3rd place and head straight for the airport.

While Jazz and Lancer wait up for Spectra and Desiree, who depart in 4th, Danny and Sam arrive at the airport and learn some distressing news.

"There's only one flight to Dubai?" Sam exclaims.

"Yep," the ticket agent says.

"Grr," Danny grumbles, "Now everyone's gonna catch up. So much for our Fast Forward lead."

Everyone indeed catches up, much to Danny and Sam's dismay. By the time everyone has bought tickets, it is 4:00am, and the flight isn't until 10:15am. In the meantime, Tucker and Valerie decide to have a little fun. They walk over to the airport restaurant, which has just started servicing breakfast.

"Let's get some of those," Tucker says, giggling.

"Heh, ok," Valerie answers.

They get about a quart of syrup. Quickly and quietly, they walk over to Lancer, who has put his sleeping mask on and is getting a few hours of rest. Tucker walks over to the toy store across the street from the airport and buys an erector set and a balloon. As he walks back to Lancer, Sam wakes up and notices what's going on. Tucker assembles the set over Lancer's head and attaches the balloon to it. Sam tries her hardest not to giggle at the proceedings. Tucker then fills the balloon with syrup. He puts an alarm on set to go off at 8am.

Several hours pass. At 8:00am, the alarm goes off, causing a nail to come in and pop the balloon. Lancer gets rudely awakened with a face full of syrup as Tucker, Sam, and Valerie laugh hysterically.

"Chicken Soup for the Soul!" Lancer exclaims. "Who did this?"

"Uh..." Tucker stalls, "it was him!" He points to a random passenger.

Lancer gives Tucker a glaring look. He goes to the nearby lounge and showers off all the syrup. He emerges just in time to catch the flight.

10 hours later, all 6 teams arrive in Dubai. Jazz and Lancer are first out of customs and hail a taxi to the hotel. Tucker and Valerie are not far behind, followed by Ember and Youngblood. Spectra and Desiree and Vlad and Dan follow. Meanwhile, Danny and Sam hit a snag in Customs.

"What do you mean you suspect something about me?" Danny questions the customs agent.

"Our sensors indicate something weird going on," the customs agent snaps back.

They let the high school buddies pass, but not before a 30-minute argument. By then, the leaders Jazz and Lancer hit the Road Block.

ROAD BLOCK 6: One of you must bungee jump off the top of the tower.

Jazz and Lancer look up. The tower is at least 1500 feet tall.

"You want to do it?" Lancer questions, suddenly getting cold feet.

"Sure," Jazz responds.

She gets in the elevator and heads on up. As Lancer waits on the ground, Tucker and Valerie and Spectra and Desiree arrive at the same time. Tucker and Spectra decide to go for their teams to even up the Road Block count. Meanwhile, Ember and Youngblood find themselves lost in the streets of Dubai.

"Shouldn't we be going that way?" Ember says to the taxi driver.

"I tell you Americans, you should get rid of your president, foreign policy very very bad," the taxi driver responds.

just my own political statement

Ember sighs. In the meantime, Vlad and Dan arrive at the hotel and Vlad decides to do the Road Block. As he goes in the hotel, Jazz is ready to jump.

"It was an exhilarating thrill," Jazz says about her experience in her confessional. "I was scared at first, then I just let all my emotions go and I just jumped. It was 500 feet of pure bliss."

Jazz and Lancer grab the next clue.

ROUTE MARKER 6.2: Drive yourselves to Harad, Saudi Arabia and you can find the next clue at the south edge of town.

yes that town does exist

Jazz and Lancer get in the provided SUV and take off for Saudi Arabia.

But will they keep their lead? Find out later tonight...

Back at the Road Block, Ember and Youngblood finally arrive to see the challenge. Youngblood volunteers.

"Yeah, it'll be like a walk off the plank ;)"

As Youngblood gets into the elevator, Tucker jumps. He loses one of the eight PDAs he had in his pockets.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Tucker cries as the PDA busts on the pavement below.

A skulking Tucker grabs the clue and he and Valerie head for Saudi Arabia. As they leave, it's Spectra's turn. She's white as a ghost (get it), but she knows that she must do it for her team. She jumps, screaming the entire way down. As she finishes her jump, Danny and Sam arrive. Sam wants Danny to do it, seeing as how she was hanging precariously over a pit in the last leg. Danny agrees and he gets into the elevator. As Danny gets in, Spectra emerges and she and Desiree head off from Dubai. Now it is Vlad's turn. He does the jump with confidence. Vlad and Dan take off for Saudi Arabia in 4th place. Youngblood goes next and commands the safety spotter to put the sword against his back, to give him more motivation. Youngblood jumps quickly. He and Ember go off in 5th place. Danny finishes up the cycle with his jump. He and Sam take off in last.

6 hours later, the leaders Jazz and Lancer arrive in Saudi Arabia, followed closely by Spectra and Desiree, who passed Tucker and Valerie near the country border. Following behind are Vlad and Dan, Ember and Youngblood, and Danny and Sam still in last. They come into Harad and find the Detour.

DETOUR 6: STEER OR FEAR

Steer: Use this compass to steer this dune buggy through a 100-mile orienteering course through the desert. You will approach 5 stations throughout your course and must collect a card at each. At the end, you will reach the next pit stop: a desert oasis.

Fear: You must take your backpacks and walk 8.5 miles through the desert without using any water. The fear of dehydration and fatigue will set in on this journey as you approach the next pit stop.

Be warned, if you drive with your car, you must turn in all 5 cards or you will not be allowed to check in. Warning: last team to check in may be eliminated.

Jazz and Lancer opt for Steer, not wanting to take any chances with their health. Spectra/Desiree and Tucker/Valerie do the same.

"Let's just follow the leaders," Valerie suggests.

"But I have this compass in my P..." Tucker responds.

"Tucker..." Valerie interrupts.

"Yes, ma'am," Tucker obliges.

Tucker and Valerie get back in their car to follow Jazz and Lancer. The three leaders quickly get to station #1 and pick up their cards. As they head for station #2, Ember and Youngblood, who also picked Steer, approach station #1.

"Let's go follow them," Youngblood says as they hit station #1. "I can still see them in the distance."

"But that might be a mirage..." Ember says.

"Getting...delusional...let's just follow the compass."

They follow the Compass and guide themselves to station #2. Meanwhile, Vlad and Dan trudge on in the middle of the desert. They have selected Fear, confident that nothing could scare them. As they head on, Danny and Sam arrive at the Detour and select Fear as well.

"But Danny, that could be..." Sam tries to warn.

"Stop, Sam! We've got to get ahead!" Danny irrationally replies.

Sad, Sam obliges her crush. Unfortunately, Vlad and Dan are a mile and a half ahead.

Meanwhile, Ember's crazy driving style has accelerated them ahead of Tucker and Valerie's more conservative style. They reach the final station in 3rd, just behind leaders Jazz/Lancer and 2nd choice Spectra/Desiree. Now it is a 3-team race to get to the pit stop in first. Ember puts the pedal to the metal and burns up the desert. Suddenly, they can see the two leaders, who are in a race of their own. Ember takes a chance and leaps over a tall dune. Unfortunately, they get too much sand in the engine as a result of the impact.

"Oh no!" Ember says. "Our engine power has been reduced to 3 mph maximum!"

"Darn," Youngblood responds.

Fortunately, they're only a mile away from the pit stop. Up front, Spectra and Desiree are slightly ahead of Jazz and Lancer. They race to the parking and grab their tickets. Now it is a footrace to the mat. Popping up on the mat first come...

"Spectra and Desiree, you are Team #1!"

Spectra and Desiree cheer.

"As winners of this leg, you have won a Walt Disney World vacation package for four back in the States. Congratulations."

"Jazz and Lancer, you are team #2."

And arriving 5 minutes later...

"Ember and Youngblood, you are team #3."

Meanwhile, Tucker and Valerie's conservative style has hit a snag, as Tucker has run the buggy deep into the sand. He spins his tires, to no avail. Valerie starts to panic uncontrollably in the 105-degree heat, but Tucker gets the right idea. He calls SAAA (Saudi Arabian Automotive Association), and a tow truck arrives 30 minutes later. Since Dan/Vlad and Danny/Sam are still in the desert, Tucker and Valerie still have enough time when they arrive at the pit stop to check in fourth.

"Tucker and Valerie, you are team #4."

Back in the desert, Vlad and Dan are sweating like crazy, but their will power continues to push them on.

"Come on, we must be our rivals Danny and Sam," Vlad says, trying to motivate Dan.

Dan and Vlad literally collapse as they reach the mat.

"Are you ok, Vlad?" Phil says.

Now that the stage is over, Dan uses his accelerated energy to heal Vlad and Dan.

"We'll manage," Dan says.

Phil blinks twice, thinking that was a mirage, then announces the check-in.

"Dan and Vlad, you're team #5."

Now knowing that they are last, Danny realizes one of the rules of the Amazing Race brought in in recent competitions.

"We're gonna be last," Danny says, "so we've got to put on as many clothes as possible because if this is a non-elimination leg, they'll take everything away from us except our passports and the clothes on our back."

"But...but...the heat..." Sam says, starting to get delirious.

"We just have to do it!" Danny yells.

Danny and Sam put on about 8-9 layers each and continue on to the pit stop 1 mile away through 110-degree heat.

2 hours later, Sam's fatigue goes to the extreme.

"Oh my..." Sam says.

She collapses in a fit of fatigue.

"Sam!" Danny says.

Using mere human strength he never knew he had, Danny picks her up and continues on.

"Danny...I...love...you..." Sam says in Danny's arms. She leans up and kisses his cheek before she faints.

Danny is surprised. His surprised look carries all the way to the Pit Stop. Sam comes to as they step on the mat.

"Oh my gosh, get her some water," Phil says to a crew member as they arrive.

They get her some water.

"Last time I let David Spade select a challenge for a joke," Phil grumbles under his breath.

"Danny and Sam, you're the last team to arrive." He pauses for a moment. "Luckily, this is the first of several pre-determined non-elimination points, and you both are still in the Amazing Race."

Danny cheers, his adrenaline running throughout his body. Sam raises her arm for a moment and then collapses again.

"Unfortunately, I have to take everything from you, including the money that you have accumulated throughout the entire race so far. You will start the next leg with just the clothes on your back, which I can see you've well prepared for, and your passports, and will start the leg with zero dollars to your name."

"In addition, I am extending the length of this pit stop to 24 hours so people can recover from the fatigue of this leg."

Danny and Sam retreat to their tent. 10 hours later, Sam is revived once again.

"Did you..." Danny says.

"Did I what?" Sam answers.

"Did you really mean what you said?"

"I don't know what you mean." She was truly unaware that she said it.

"Let's play the video." They see the video where Sam admits her feelings for Danny. Sam giggles and shyly blushes.

"Well, that was the entire truth, Danny. You know, delirium makes you admit your deepest secrets, including those straight from your heart."

Danny smiles. He and Sam hug, knowing that now that the secret is out, they could gain the ultimate advantage in the Amazing Race.

Will it be an advantage? Find out on the next episode...


	7. Leg 7: Saudi Arabia to Greece

"This is Saudi Arabia, home to some of the biggest culture mixes and largest deserts in the world. And in the middle of the desert, this oasis was the 5th pit stop in a race around the world. Teams arrived here at the end of the last leg for a mandatory 24-hour rest period. Danny and Sam, who were the last team to arrive, were not eliminated because this was the first of three pre-determined non-elimination points, but they were stripped of all their money and will start this next leg with no money to their name. They were also stripped of all their belongings except for their passports and the clothes on their back. Will the newly found lovers come back from this setback, and will Spectra and Desiree continue their surprise lead? Spectra and Desiree, who arrived at 12:11pm, will depart at 12:11pm the next day."

ROUTE MARKER 7.1: Make your way to the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. Ghost powers are allowed to get there. 5 teams have $169 for this leg of the race; one team has zero.

"Wanna wait for Jazz and Lancer?" Spectra says.

"No," Desiree responds. "This is the time we screw them out of this race."

They fly off without Jazz and Lancer, an alliance potentially broken.

"Aren't we supposed to be going with them?" Jazz says, who departs with Lancer in second.

"Lord of the Flies!" Lancer exclaims. "First chance at a yield, get them."

As they consider what to do, Ember and Youngblood depart. They notice Jazz and Lancer standing in the sand. Invisibly, they pick Jazz and Lancer up and take them to Greece. Meanwhile, Tucker and Valerie start the leg in 4th, also without their alliance partners, who have decided to side with Jazz and Lancer. They skulk in the desert, allowing Vlad and Dan, starting this leg in 5th, to get ahead of them. Danny and Sam, who start in last, notice Tucker and Valerie.

"The only right thing to do is help them," Sam suggests.

"I agree," Danny responds. "Then maybe they can help us with some money."

Danny gets in front of Tucker and Valerie and turns into Danny Phantom, much to Valerie's surprise.

"You mean..." Valerie surprisingly says, "I was fighting YOU?"

"Yep," Danny says. "Sorry I kept this secret for so long."

"Ok," Valerie says, knowing that they are starting with no money. "We'll help you with your money situation, but you have to reveal your secret to the whole world at the next pit stop."

"Well, people will see this when it comes on television. Isn't that evidence enough?"

"Nope. I want it live, to make an impact."

"Sigh...OK."  
"Danny, no!" Sam responds. "We can find another way to make money."

"Don't worry," her boyfriend responds back. "I've got a plan."

He winks at her. Sam smiles. Danny picks up all three teenagers and heads for Greece.

Meanwhile, Spectra and Desiree arrive at the Acropolis. They quickly find the Route Marker.

ROUTE MARKER 7.2: Make your way to Panathenaic Stadium in Athens where you will find your next clue. Ghost powers allowed to get there. Warning: Yield Ahead.

Spectra and Desiree take a moment to admire the view from the plateau, unaware that Jazz/Lancer and Ember/Youngblood, still invisible, grab their clues and take the lead away from the sightseeing ghosts. The girl ghosts then take off for the Stadium. A few minutes later, Vlad and Dan, who have made up some time through the air, arrive at the Acropolis. They depart for the Stadium in 4th.

Meanwhile, across town, Jazz/Lancer and Ember/Youngblood land and encounter the Yield. It is the 2nd of only 3 Yields on the entire race. As a reminder, a team can Yield any other team behind of them and force them to stop racing for a predetermined amount of time, but they can only do that once per race. No team still in the race has used their Yield power.

Now seeing who helped them to this point, Lancer makes a proposition to Ember.

"If you let us step on the Yield mat first," Lancer says, "we will NOT yield you, guaranteed."

"Hmm, an interesting proposition," Ember says.

But they don't trust their partners yet. She and Youngblood step on the mat first. Jazz and Lancer get worried until...

"We choose not to yield anybody," Youngblood says.

Jazz and Lancer let out a sigh of relief as Ember and Youngblood continue into the stadium.

Inside, Ember and Youngblood encounter a detour.

DETOUR 7: Shop for 500 or Drop for 50

Shop: Go to Monastiraki Flea Market and spend 500 Euros (about $585 US) inside the market. Nothing may be spent outside the market. Take what you get to a dry cleaner located here (map included) where you will get your next clue.

Drop: Go to Tanagra AFB where the drill sergeant will put you through a rigorous training program. Once you complete it, the sergeant will give you your next clue.

Ghost powers allowed to get to destination, but no ghost powers to complete the challenge.

Again, the teams don't know the true pros and cons of the two Detour paths. If they chose Shop, the market was easy to find, closer to where they are, and not taxing on their bodies. However, spending 500 Euros at a flea market where great deals were everywhere would be a challenge and a price over 75 Euros was hard to find. If they chose Drop, they would each have to complete 50 push-ups. The challenge was they had to do it where their head would go fully into the mud every time. Also, weights equal to 30 of their weight would be put on their upper back, making it extremely hard to push back up. This is all as their drill sergeants yell at them. However, if they were physically fit, the teams could finish Drop quickly.

Ember and Youngblood decide to go shopping. Back at the Yield, Jazz and Lancer use their right.

"We choose to yield Spectra and Desiree."

They step off the mat and head for the Detour. They choose to do Drop, much to Lancer's reservations. Meanwhile, back at the Acropolis, Danny/Sam and Tucker/Valerie arrive in last. They take a second to admire the view and then head off for the Stadium.

At the flea market, Ember and Youngblood arrive and receive their 500 Euros. Immediately next door, they find a worthless vase. It's 80 Euros! The ghost pirates are off to a good start. As they continue to shop, Jazz and Lancer arrive at the AFB.

"Are you ready to work out?" the drill sergeant says to Jazz and Lancer.

"Sir, yes, sir!" they both respond.

"Then you will get in this mud pit, put these weights on, and give me 50!"

"Wow," Jazz says, "I didn't know it was gonna be this intense."

"Quiet, you!" the drill sergeant snaps.

They drop down and start with their 50. Back at the stadium, Spectra and Desiree arrive at the Yield mat. They have been Yielded!

"Wow, it came back to bite us," Spectra says.

"I'm surprised that they could be so bitter," Desiree adds, referring to Jazz and Lancer.

They turn over the 45-minute hourglass, allowing Vlad and Dan to immediately pass them. They try for Drop and rocket off to the AFB. Meanwhile, in the air, Danny, still carrying Sam, Tucker, and Valerie, notices that a team has been yielded.

"Hey, we're not gonna be last!" Tucker exclaims.

"I got an idea though," Danny says.

He turns the group invisible. They then sneak past the yielded ghost girls and head for the route marker.

"There," Danny says. "Now they'll think they're not last."

"You are so smart, Danny," Sam says.

"I know."

Sam smiles again. The group decides to stay together as both Danny/Sam and Tucker/Valerie go for Shop.

Back at the AFB, Jazz and Lancer have gotten up to 30. Their entire bodies are burning now as their faces are completely covered in mud. The taste of mud is clearly evident in their mouths now. Yet they continue, the road to a million dollars still open. Meanwhile, more yelling can be heard as Vlad and Dan arrive and start their training.

Over at the market, Danny, Sam, Tucker, and Valerie arrive as Ember and Youngblood are down to their last 5 Euros. The pirates decide to indulge in a bit of Greek cuisine with their last bit of money. They enjoy their Greek salad in front of Sam. She drools as Ember and Youngblood receive their next clue.

ROUTE MARKER 7.3: Make your way to Olympia and find the ancient Olympic Stadium where you will receive your next clue. Ghost powers are NOT allowed to get there, take the cars provided.

Ember/Youngblood get in their car and refer to their map to embark towards Olympia in the lead. Meanwhile, Sam and Valerie take control of their individual teams as shopping experts to accomplish the detour.

Back at the Panathenaic Stadium, the time runs out on Spectra and Desiree's Yield penalty. Still thinking that they are in 4th, the girls choose Drop at the Detour and take off for the AFB.

Over at the AFB, Jazz and Lancer have dramatically slowed. They are at 45 each, trying to get up to 50 before their whole mud-covered body collapses. Meanwhile, Dan and Vlad continue to use their fitness to their advantage, as they are at 32 and quickly rising.

At the market, Sam and Valerie spend their Euros like Dan and Vlad burn through their push-ups. They get through the challenge in record pace. Seeing the ghost restriction, Danny turns back into his human self and the two teams decide to go as a group towards Olympia.

As they finish up, Vlad and Dan finish up at Tanagra. They receive their clue and depart for Olympia, which is closer to Tanagra than Athens. Vlad and Dan depart as Spectra and Desiree arrive. Jazz and Lancer can clearly be seen struggling in the challenge, 2 short of their goal.

"Hey, since we haven't entered the challenge yet," Spectra proposes, "let me do this ghost power."

She fires a ray at Jazz and Lancer. Their bodies become depressed and completely give out.

"Now we have a chance to pick up third," Desiree says, still unaware of Tucker/Valerie and Danny/Sam.

They get started with their 50.

Over in Olympia, Ember and Youngblood continue to maintain their lead as they approach the stadium. It's a Road Block.

ROAD BLOCK 7: Who's up for a flashback?

Ember agrees to do it.

ROAD BLOCK 7 OPENED: Throw a shotput 15 meters. No ghost powers.

"Well, that doesn't seem that hard," Ember says.

She goes up to the line and tries her first shot. It only travels 2 meters. Since no one else is around, she can immediately try again, but...

"We must finish before the others get here," Youngblood reminds Ember.

Back at the AFB, the spell wears off of Jazz and Lancer, but not before Spectra and Desiree get a mud-soaked 40 in. Jazz and Lancer work through the extreme pain to complete their last two push-ups. They depart in 5th place.

Over in Olympia, Ember has not gotten beyond 5.5 meters as Danny, Sam, Tucker, and Valerie arrive. Danny and Tucker decide to complete the Road Block. Meanwhile, Ember gets 7 meters. She goes to the end of the line as Danny goes for his first attempt. 13 meters. He goes to the back as Tucker tries. He calculates the numbers for his attempt and throws. 15.5 meters! Tucker gets it on the first try.

"Way to go, Tucker!" Valerie exclaims.

"Thanks," Tucker responds. "Ol' Tuck's got a lot more strength than you knew about."

They open their clue.

ROUTE MARKER 7.4: Make your way to the next pit stop, The Bouleuterion ruins across town. You must get there on foot, no ghost powers. Warning: last team to check in may be eliminated.

Tucker and Valerie rush off to the pit stop. Meanwhile, it's Ember's turn as Vlad and Dan arrive. She gets 14.5 meters. Grumbling, she goes to the back of the line as Dan goes for the Road Block. Now it's Danny's turn. 15 meters on the nose! Sam hugs Danny as she accomplishes the task. Danny and Sam head for the pit stop. Now it's Dan's attempt. He gets 19.3 meters and Dan and Vlad head for the pit stop as Youngblood starts to fret about losing position after position.

Back at the AFB, Spectra and Desiree get done with their 50. Mud-soaked, they receive their next clue as a nearby private laughs at the girls' look.

"I wish he knew what we went through," Spectra says.

"So you wished it," Desiree says, "and so it shall be."

Desiree uses her powers to lift the private in and out of the mud. Satisfied, they drive off to Olympia, where Ember tries again to throw the shotput. She finally succeeds, throwing it 15.05 meters. They depart in 4th as the leaders step on the mat in front of Phil.

"Tucker and Valerie, you're team #1!"

Tucker and Valerie cheer as they get the good news from Phil that they also have won a Sirius Satellite Radio and service for a year.

A few minutes later, Danny and Sam arrive.

"Danny and Sam, you're team #2."

They then go over to Valerie and Tucker.

"So," Danny says, "how about that money."

Valerie looks at him sternly. "Not until you stand up to your end of the bargain."

Danny frowns and waits for the other teams to arrive before he fulfills his promise.

Back at the stadium, Jazz and Lancer arrive. Lancer, in desperate need of a Road Block, agrees to do it. His first throw is a pitiful 2.3 meters. He tries again. 6.7 meters. He tries a 3rd time. 15.1 meters. Jazz is amazed by his accomplishment.

"Wow, where did you get the power for the 3rd throw?" Jazz says.

"By learning over my mistakes," Lancer says. "It's what all good teachers do."

"Oh," Jazz responds, rolling her eyes.

They depart for the pit stop as two more teams check in.

"Vlad and Dan, you're team #3."

"Ember and Youngblood, you're team #4."

Back at the Stadium, Spectra and Desiree, relaxed because they still think they are ahead of some teams, arrive. Spectra goes ahead. She gets it on her 2nd attempt as Jazz and Lancer check in.

"Jazz and Lancer, you're team #5."

10 minutes later, the girls arrive.

"Spectra and Desiree, you're the last team to arrive."

The girls nearly faint as they receive the announcement. They are truly shocked.

"I'm sorry to tell you that you've both been eliminated from the race."

With shocked looks on their face, they fly back to the United States, giving a sneer to Jazz and Lancer as they go by.

But now, the pressure goes on Danny, as he goes to a nearby TV studio to earn money to stay in the race.

"All right, here we go," Danny says.

"NO!" Sam says. "You don't have to do this for us!"

"Yes I do." Danny says. He kisses Sam on the cheek, now totally comfortable of displaying his feelings for Sam. "I promise."

Sam smiles as she steps out of the camera. They go live.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Danny says, "I am Danny Fenton of Amity Park, insert state here. And this is my secret."

He sadly turns into Danny Phantom on camera, much to the amazement of the other teams and in front of the entire world. He then flies off camera. Valerie walks up to him and gives him $100.

"You were very brave in revealing that," Valerie says. "I have new respect for you."

"Thanks," Danny responds. "That makes me feel a lot better."

They exchange a friendly hug as they go rest during their pit stop.

So Danny has gotten two big weights off of his chest in the past two legs. Will this pave the way for them to finish first? Leg 8 beckons shortly...


	8. Leg 8: Greece to Italy

DANNY PHANTOM: THE AMAZING RACE LEG #8

Disclaimer: Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon/Viacom own all Danny Phantom characters. References for route markers from www.vesuvioinrete.it and www.romeguide.it.

"This is Olympia, Greece. For nearly 1000 years, this was the site where ancient Greeks came together in the spirit of sport. Now, this ancient site named the Bouleuterion was the 6th pit stop in a race around the world. Teams arrived here at the end of the last leg. Will Valerie's newfound respect for Danny's ghost powers help both groups stay up top, and will Jazz and Lancer be able to rebound from last place? Tucker and Valerie, who were the first to arrive at 3:15pm, will depart at 3:15am."

Route Marker 8.1: Make your way by boat across the Adriatic Sea. Then travel using any method to Vesuvius National Park where you will receive your next clue. You have $27 for this leg of the race.

"That's not much money this leg," Valerie says, "and that's just after we gave Danny $100 last night!"

"We'll be fine," Tucker reassures. "We've got plenty saved."

As they take off, Danny and Sam aren't far behind in 2nd. They call for a taxi to the nearest seaport 20 miles away, the same one Tucker and Valerie are heading to. Back at the pit stop Vlad/Dan and Ember/Youngblood depart within 10 minutes of each other. But Ember and Youngblood wait.

"Wait," Youngblood says. "Why are we waiting here?"

"I like this alliance with Jazz and Lancer," Ember responds. "Besides, we can outrace them to the finish line."

This is exactly what they do, waiting 10 minutes for last place Jazz and Lancer to depart. They get in a taxi and head to the boat station.

By the time the last two teams get to the port, they are relieved to see the other three teams waiting for the first boat out at 7:15am. The 5 teams are together again.

Everyone is anxious as they get on the boat. The boat departs. Most of the teams take the chance to get some shut-eye in. But one racer has to get something off her chest. She wakes Tucker and takes him to the front of the boat.

"You know, with everyone revealing secrets on this trip," Valerie says, "it's about time I revealed a secret of my own."

"Shoot," Tucker responds.

"I have always thought men that could help me out with my iPod were so attractive. And I want to go out with you when we return to America."

Tucker looks skyward. "Thank you."

They kiss with a sunset in the background. Valerie walks back to the seating area of the boat with a smile on her face as Dan wakes up.

"What do you think she's smiling about?" Dan says to Vlad, who is still sleeping.

"Toadstool...Peach...both the same person..." Vlad says. He is apparently having a strange dream.

8 hours later, the teams arrive on the eastern coast of Italy, an hour's drive away from Vesuvius. But only 20 minutes if you fly. Vlad and Dan power out of the coast in the lead. The Ember/Youngblood/Jazz/Lancer alliance comes out 2nd, followed by the Tucker/Valerie/Danny/Sam alliance in last. 20 minutes later, Vlad and Dan arrive at the Route Marker and open the clue. It is a detour.

Detour 8: Excavate or Elevate

Excavate: Walk over to this digging site where paleontologists are trying to discover what happened to the ancient culture in Pompeii. You will be designated 500 square feet of the ancient site and you must dig up the clue somewhere in that 500 square feet.

Elevate: Fly or walk up to the top of Mount Vesuvius where you will notice a cord over the caldera of the active volcano. You will then harness up and fly over the active caldera. Once both team members get over to the other side, you will get your next clue.

Excavate isn't scary at all, but it could take a long time if teams are unlucky. Elevate is perhaps the most frightening experience yet on the race, and it will be extremely hot on the mountain, but teams will be able to finish quickly.

Vlad and Dan opt for Elevate. 10 minutes later, Ember/Youngblood and Jazz/Lancer arrive at the Detour decision. Both teams decide to try out Excavate. As those teams head for the dig site, Vlad and Dan get to the top of the mountain. They look down at the lava pit as the lava starts to bubble.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Vlad questions the safety technician.

"We're checking now," the technician answers.

He sticks a monitoring device into the rock of the volcano and runs a test. As Vlad and Dan impatiently wait, the other two teams are able to start immediately on the dig. Ember and Youngblood immediately find a piece of paper. They are hopeful that this is the clue. Instead, it turns out to be an ancient note from the city of Pompeii.

"Eureka, what a discovery!" a nearby paleontologist says.

Ember just scoffs and returns to her task. Meanwhile, Tucker/Valerie and Danny/Sam arrive. Both teams decide that they are here for the adventure of the race and go for Elevate. They fly up slower and slower, the heat getting to them more and more the higher they go. At the same time, Jazz and Lancer, the paleontology buffs they are, are getting through the site quickly. They find the Route Marker as Vlad and Dan discover the results of the technician's test at the top of the mountain.

"It's still OK," the technician says. "Let's get you hooked up, Dan."

Dan is relieved but sweating still with the 110-degree temperatures around the lava pit. He gets in the harness as Jazz and Lancer open up the Route Marker.

Route Marker 8.2: Make your way to Rome and find the ancient site of the Circus Maximus where you will receive your next clue. Ghost powers allowed getting there.

Jazz and Lancer get in a taxi and head for Rome. Luckily for them, the driver knows where they are going. They head to Rome as Dan heads across the volcano. Vlad isn't far behind and they take off for Rome in 2nd. Danny and Sam get to go next. Sam goes first and is taken away by the experience.

"This is something you only get to experience once in a lifetime," Sam says in her confessional. "The Amazing Race just gets better and better."

After Danny arrives, the lovebirds grab the clue and wait for the other emerging lovebirds. Tucker and Valerie get across quickly and leave with Danny and Sam tied in 3rd. This leaves the struggling Ember and Youngblood as the last team by Vesuvius. They finally find the clue 45 minutes after the previous teams departed. Frustrated, Ember and Youngblood take off. In the meantime, Jazz and Lancer's taxi gets them to the Circus Maximus quickly. After giving the taxi driver a huge tip, Jazz and Lancer encounter a Road Block.

Road Block #8: One person must get in this chariot and complete a lap in under a minute to receive their next clue.

Lancer decides to go. He puts on ancient Roman armor and gets in the chariot. Jazz takes a picture of the goofy-looking Lancer.

"Just wait until this gets back to Casper High," Jazz thinks, giggling out loud.

Lancer has no time to make a rebuttal as his chariot takes off. As he approaches the first turn, Vlad and Dan arrive. Vlad agrees to go. Lancer's chariot nearly runs him over as he gets in his chariot.

"The Great Gatsby!" Lancer exclaims. "I can't even control this thing!"

The time backs up his point. His first run finishes in 87 seconds. He must now wait until Vlad tries his run. In the meantime, Danny/Sam and Tucker/Valerie arrive. With their partners having already completed 4 Road Blocks, Sam and Valerie have to go for the Road Block. Meanwhile, Vlad's chariot is fast even for the unskilled driver. Vlad has hit luck once again as they finish the course in 50 seconds. They receive their final clue of the leg.

Route Marker 8.3: Make your way to the next pit stop: The Colosseum in Rome, Italy.

You must get there on foot, no ghost powers.

Warning: Last team to check in may be eliminated.

Vlad and Dan run off. It is Lancer's turn to try again. He watched Vlad's run attentively and he feels like he is ready to make this a perfect run. He takes the first turn a bit wide, but his extremely fast speeds on the straightaways more than make up for it. He completes the course in 57 seconds, getting him and Jazz out of Circus Maximus in 2nd. A nervous Sam gets in next. She puts on a safety helmet and gets a hug from Danny for good luck and reassurance. Sam, smiling, starts. She is holding on for dear life at first as she attempts to grab the reins.

"Wow, this chariot is outta control!" Sam exclaims.

She finally gains control just in time to reach the first turn. Once she grabs the reins, the rest of the course turns out pretty simple. She completes the course in 59.5 seconds, getting her and Danny out in 3rd. Next up is Valerie. The course turns out pretty easy for her. After all, she has learned to balance quite well on her hoverboard. Valerie finishes in 46 seconds. They leave in 4th.

Near the Colosseum, it has turned into a footrace between Vlad/Dan and Jazz/Lancer. Jazz and Lancer show unwavering determination, as they have finished 2nd in 4 legs so far. Suddenly, a pop is heard. Vlad has suddenly injured his knee. He can still walk, but his running is shot. Dan tries to use his ghost powers to reach inside Vlad and pop his knee back into place, but by the time Vlad returns to normal, they can see Jazz and Lancer at the mat with Phil.

"Jazz and Lancer, you are team number ONE!"

Jazz and Lancer cheer, happy that their team has finally won a leg.

"As winners of this 7th leg of the race, you have won a European Adventure compliments of Air France, and you can enjoy that after the race."

A few minutes later, Vlad and Dan limp in, not wanting to take any more chances.

"Is your knee alright?" Phil asks.

"I'll manage," Vlad responds.

"Ok, well, Vlad and Dan, you are team number two."

The two high school teams arrive shortly thereafter, and, in a true showing of what appears to be a strong alliance, they step on the mat together.

"Danny and Sam, Tucker and Valerie, you are teams number three and four."

As those two teams check in, Ember and Youngblood finally arrive at the Road Block. Youngblood agrees to do it and finishes in 58 seconds. They then consider their situation.

"We don't need any more clothes, do we?" Youngblood questions Ember.

"Nope," Ember responds, "We're a strong team, we'll take any punishment they dole us."

A strong-willed Ember and Youngblood team checks in 15 minutes later.

"Ember and Youngblood, you're the last team to arrive." Phil pauses. "The good news is that this is the 2nd of 3 pre-determined non-elimination point, and you are still in the Amazing Race. Unfortunately, that means I have to take everything from you except the clothes on your backs and your passports and you must start the next leg with zero dollars to your name."

"That's ok, though," Ember says. "We will still win this race. Nothing can stop us."

They may be confident now, but their situation for the next leg might test their confidence. Will they recover from this setback? Find out in the next episode!

ON THE NEXT LEG OF THE AMAZING RACE:

Our teams go gambling. Will any of our teams bust out?

A touching memorial affects our teams in Normandy. Will the emotions get the best of them?

And, the final four will be decided. Will new-found relationships help or hurt teams as they race to avoid elimination?


	9. Leg 9: Italy to France

THE AMAZING RACE DANNY PHANTOM EDITION – CHAPTER 9

Disclaimer: Cote d'Azur information courtesy www.riviera.fr. Danny Phantom characters property of Butch Hartman, Nick, and Viacom.

Warnings: Gambling, Danny/Sam and Tucker/Valerie moments.

"This is Rome, Italy, one of the most historic cities in the world and the home to the center of the Catholic faith. And in the center of town, one of the most historic landmarks in the world, the Colosseum. This was the 7th pit stop in a race around the world. Teams arrived here at the end of the last leg for a mandatory rest period. Ember and Youngblood, who arrived here last, were not eliminated because this was the 2nd of 3 predetermined non-elimination points. But they were stripped of everything they had except for the clothes on their backs and their passports. Will this setback stop Ember and Youngblood in their tracks or will they persevere through this punishment? And, will the high school teams continue to get closer to the top working together? Jazz and Lancer, who were the first to arrive at 5:14pm, will depart at 5:14am."

Alert for Leg 9: This is a no-ghost leg. Ghost powers may not be used throughout this leg.

Route Marker 9.1: Make your way to Cote d'Azur on the French Riviera and find Eden Casino. At the entrance, you will find your next clue. Four teams have $99.99 for this leg of the race; one team has $0 for this leg of the race.

As Jazz and Lancer get in a taxi and take off, Ember and Youngblood, whose time to leave is still an hour away, beg on the streets.

"Can you lend us any money?" Youngblood asks a local.

"Not to you pirates!" the local reacts.

Ember sighs. "Let me do it."

She walks up attractively to an American visitor.

"Excuse me," Ember says, with puppy-dog eyes, "could you loan me some money? We got mugged last night."

"Sure," the American reacts. He gives the group $30.

"Thank you, good sir." She returns to Youngblood. "Man, was that degrading."

As Ember and Youngblood beg, Vlad and Dan, Danny and Sam, and Tucker and Valerie, in that order, have all departed from the Colosseum. Danny/Sam and Tucker/Valerie decide to stick together since this is a non-ghost leg. Besides, this new foursome seems like a perfect fit.

As their time to leave approaches, Ember and Youngblood count their money. $200 is more than enough to get started on this leg. They get Marker 9.1 and head towards the Riviera.

Meanwhile, a race has ensued on the roads. Due to good tipping and a fast taxi driver, the taxi carrying Danny, Sam, Tucker, and Valerie have passed the taxi of Vlad and Dan, propelling the high school teams into 2nd. They can then see Jazz and Lancer in the distance. Lancer notices them.

"Fast and the Furious, they're gaining quick on us!" Lancer exclaims. "Can't this driver go any faster?"

"Since we have no motivation for him, no," Jazz responds, referring to the dwindling cash reserves of the duo. They barely have enough to get to the Riviera.

As a result, the four teenagers are able to pass Jazz and Lancer for the lead. They get to the Riviera first and encounter the 9th Road Block.

Road Block #9: Who's ready for Gambling?

"We'll do it!" Danny and Tucker exclaim. They always had a thing for gambling.

"Meh, men." Sam and Valerie say simultaneously.

Road Block #9 Opened: Win 13 blackjack hands.

The two guys enter the casino, as casino entry guidelines are a lot more lax in France than in the United States. Lancer enters slightly afterwards, doing the road block for his team.

Inside, Danny and Tucker each win 3 hands quickly before Lancer arrives. As soon as Lancer arrives, the dealer hits a hot streak, hitting 21 after 21.

"Why did you have to bring bad luck to the table?" Danny questions Lancer.

"Don't start with me, Fenton," Lancer says, disgruntled.

As the cold streak continues, Vlad arrives to attempt the Road Block. Suddenly a lucky streak hits Danny and Tucker. Danny hits a blackjack, then Tucker. Wins just keep coming and before Vlad can get his 3rd win, Danny and Tucker complete their 13 wins.

Route Marker 9.2: Make your way by overnight train to Normandy, France and the beach where US soldiers stormed the beaches in 1944. At the D-Day Memorial Museum, you will receive your next clue.

The teenagers head for the train station. Meanwhile, the bad luck continues for Lancer, although Jazz doubts if it is indeed bad luck after all.

"You have 17, sir," the dealer says to Lancer.

"Hit me," Lancer reacts.

"26."

Jazz shakes her head as Youngblood arrives to attempt the casino Road Block. After all, gambling is second nature to pirates. It is also second nature to Vlad, who has picked up his 13th win. He and Dan head for the train station.

Dan and Vlad arrive 10 minutes later at the train station to see that Danny/Sam and Tucker/Valerie have already grabbed tickets for the first train out.

"Lucky you got here," Danny says to his older self.

"Why is that?" Dan questions.

"Because there are only 8 tickets reserved for racers," Sam informs. "The last team here will have to get on a train that departs 1 hour later."

"Wow," Dan reacts.

This fact unbeknownst to the other two teams still at the casino, Lancer and Youngblood race to become the 4th team out. Suddenly, Youngblood exclaims at the sight of a Blackjack. It is his 13th win. He and Ember race to the train station. Meanwhile, Lancer is stuck at 11 wins. Luckily for him, the dealer is able to bust twice in a row, giving Lancer 13. Jazz and Lancer race off to the train station, but it is too late for them, as Ember and Youngblood grab the last tickets for the first train.

At 6:00pm, the first train departs, carrying all the teams but Jazz and Lancer. Inside, each team gets a room by themselves, a welcome respite for the two budding relationships of Danny/Sam and Tucker/Valerie.

"Yes!" Tucker exclaims. "Finally some alone time with you, Valerie."

"Quite," Valerie responds. "But don't try anything stupid."

"Don't worry. I am quite the gentleman."

Valerie smiles. She and Tucker kiss in a way neither never thought they would before. Each can truly tell the other one is crazy over them.

Meanwhile, in the room next door, Danny has taken the opportunity to get some sleep in. Sam sits by him, rubbing his chest, looking out their window.

"This was the closest I had ever gotten to him on that train ride," Sam informs in her confessional. "And it just felt, so good, that I had to kiss him right there."

She does just that, kissing Danny with a passion she had hidden in herself for so long. Danny wakes up and sees Sam's beautiful face locking lips with his. He decides it's better to not interrupt and go with the flow. Sam notices this and this only ignites her passion even more. Danny and Sam make out for about 15 minutes when the train conductor walks by.

"Tickets, please," the conductor says.

Danny, lips still locked, reaches into his pocket and shows the conductor the tickets.

"Oh, ok," he responds. "I won't bother you."

He leaves. Sam then stops for a moment.

"Wow," Sam says, with a beaming smile.

"What?" Danny responds.

"This is the first time we haven't been totally embarrassed when someone discovers one of our moments."

"Yeah, it is, isn't it? You know what that means, right?"

"I think so," Sam answers, blushing a bit now.

"Here, let me show you," Danny responds.

He starts to make out with Sam again. Sam feels like she is in heaven as she and Danny continue to make out.

The romance is put on hold temporarily as the teams arrive in Normandy. The D-Day Memorial is still a mile away, and all four teams decide to race on foot. Vlad and Dan grab the lead with their superior athletic power, followed by Danny and Sam, Tucker and Valerie, and Ember and Youngblood. Jazz and Lancer are still on the train, an hour and a half away.

Vlad and Dan arrive at the Memorial first to receive their next Route Marker.

Route Marker 9.3: Carry this 10-foot long American flag through the marked path through the D-Day Cemetery and place it in one of the flag holders. Then, run to Omaha Beach and the next Pit Stop. Warning: last team to check in may be eliminated.

Vlad and Dan grab the flag. It is quite heavy, but they can easily handle it. Tucker and Valerie, however, not so much. Tucker drops it after 10 feet. He worries about being emasculated in front of Valerie. Valerie, however, is so much in love with Tucker that she gives a look as if she's saying 'Don't worry about it.' This motivates Tucker to go even further, at the very least to stay ahead of a fast-approaching Danny and Sam, who have motivation of their own. After all, $1 million would do a lot for their budding relationship. A great race then develops in 2nd between the allied teams of Tucker/Valerie and Danny/Sam. Meanwhile, back in 4th, Ember and Youngblood labor on, likely stuck in the position they are.

At the front, the heartless Vlad and Dan stick their flag in the slot and move on, not even caring about the history and dedication of the soldiers who fought here. They then find the mat quickly on Omaha Beach where Phil is waiting.

"Vlad and Dan, you're team #1!"

They high-five each other in celebration. Phil doesn't announce a prize, since all the teams now know that there will be no more prizes at the end of legs.

Meanwhile, back at the gravesite, Danny/Sam and Tucker/Valerie stick their flags in simultaneously.

"It's gonna be a race to the mat," Tucker urges. "I've got an idea, hop on my back."

Tucker, trying to earn his masculinity back, carries Valerie piggy-back style and runs towards the mat. Danny and Sam, banking on the fact that Tucker probably couldn't make it, both stay on foot. However, Tucker is able to persevere all the way to the mat.

"Tucker and Valerie, you're team #2."

"Danny and Sam, you're team #3."

20 minutes later, the fourth team arrives as last place Jazz and Lancer step off the train.

"Ember and Youngblood, you're team #4."

Now knowing they are last, Jazz and Lancer grab the flag. They take a minute at the cemetery to take in the history and the nostalgia of the site. Lancer especially enjoys it, knowing that he will have one heck of a story to tell to his class when he returns to Amity Park. They walk together to see Phil.

"Jazz and Lancer, you're the last team to arrive. I'm sorry to tell you that you've both been eliminated from the race."

"That's ok, Phil," Jazz says, starting to tear up. "This was the most amazing experience in my life."

"And believe me," Lancer adds, "This will be the most unbelievable story to tell my students. Who's cool now, Amity Park?"

Jazz and Lancer smile as they leave for home.

And now 4 are left. Who will be eliminated next? Find out in the next episode.

ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF THE AMAZING RACE

Adventures in England give Vlad and Dan chances to try tricks on the other teams.

A soccer challenge against one of the premier players tests the will of the teams.

And who will grab the final Fast Forward in the race to gain the advantage as they get ready to head for home?


	10. Leg 10: France to Scotland

DANNY PHANTOM: THE AMAZING RACE

CHAPTER 10

Warnings: Possible continuation of D/S and T/V.

Disclaimer: To follow along with the Fast Forward, check out http/www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/pdfdocs/colourmap.gif.

"This is Omaha Beach in France. 61 years ago, this site was where American forces made their first resistance against the Nazis. Now, this historic site is the 8th pit stop in a race around the world. Can Vlad and Dan continue to stay ahead, or will Ember and Youngblood catch up from last place? Vlad and Dan, who were the first to arrive at 9:45am, will depart at 9:45pm."

Route Marker #10.1: Make your way by car under the English Channel by way of the EuroTunnel. On the British side, you will find your next clue. No ghost powers allowed getting there. You have $710 for this leg of the race.

This generous amount of money by the producers eliminates any money troubles for Danny/Sam and Ember/Youngblood, who were penalized early in the race. Within 30 minutes, all four teams head for the French entrance of the EuroTunnel, led by Vlad and Dan, followed by Tucker/Valerie, Danny/Sam, and Ember/Youngblood.

At the EuroTunnel, Vlad and Dan find some disheartening news. The next train to England doesn't depart until 12:00am, 2 hours away. The train is the only way through the tunnel.

"Now everyone's gonna catch up again," Dan says.

"Yep," Vlad adds. "That's really disappointing."

Confirming Dan's prediction, everyone catches up and buys tickets for that one train. At 12:00am, everyone is on the train, and it enters the tunnel. All four teams position themselves for the front of the train. The train arrives in Britain 50 minutes later. Danny and Sam emerge first, followed by Ember/Youngblood, Tucker/Valerie, and Vlad/Dan. They arrive in that order at the next Route Marker within seconds of each other.

Route Marker #10.2: Head to Liverpool and find Abbey Road. Cross it a la The Beatles to receive your next clue. Ghost powers allowed getting there.

Along with the route marker is the 2nd and final Fast Forward available in the race. When a team accomplishes this task, they can skip all remaining tasks in the leg and head directly to the pit stop. However, since Danny and Sam had already done a Fast Forward in Leg #5, they cannot go for this Fast Forward.

Fast Forward #2: Search through the London underground network for 4 Cosmo coins using 4 scavenger hunt-style clues. Once you have found all five, you can give it to the officer at a 5th destination to receive your Fast Forward. Ghost powers allowed getting to an underground station, but no using ghost powers while on the Fast Forward Scavenger Hunt. A map of the underground network is enclosed (like the one on the website listed at the top). Hours of underground operation are 5:00am to 1:00am.

Clue #1: Find the station that connects the most unique routes. Hint: 6 different routes. You must take the train to this station, do not fly or taxi directly to this station.

Danny and Sam, eliminated from this Fast Forward, take off for the normal Route Marker. Vlad and Dan quickly follow them. Meanwhile, Ember and Youngblood fly towards London, ready to attempt the Fast Forward. Tucker and Valerie follow them in a taxi. Ember and Youngblood arrive at what they think is the station next to the station desired: the station at Euston, next to King's Cross St. Pancras.

"I hope this is the right station," Youngblood worries.

"I hope so too," Ember adds, "or this will be it for us."

They take a nap, since it is still 3.5 hours before the underground opens. Meanwhile, Tucker and Valerie taxi to the St. Paul's station, next to the Bank station. Tucker and Valerie also use the opportunity to take a nap. Meanwhile, in Liverpool, Vlad and Dan, who passed Danny and Sam in the air, arrive at the world-famous Abbey Road crossing. They cross the road from one side to another and grab the next Route Marker.

Route Marker #10.3: Make your way to Old Tradford Stadium in Manchester and find your next clue. Ghost powers allowed to travel, hours of operation 8:00am-8:00pm.

It is currently 3:45am. Vlad and Dan growl as they realize that other teams will be able to catch up again. They jet off for Manchester, followed closely by Danny and Sam. As Danny and Sam travel, the sun rises behind Danny. Sam just looks up at him, blushes, and smiles. Both teams arrive in Manchester and take another nap, wanting to have plenty of energy for a possible final stretch run in the final legs.

As the leaders get ready to nap, the Fast Forward teams get ready to go underground. At 5:00am, Ember and Youngblood take off at their station as Tucker and Valerie take off. Tucker and Valerie arrive at Bank first. They look throughout the station. No Cosmo coin! Meanwhile, success has been found at St. Pancras, where Ember and Youngblood have found the first Cosmo coin.

Fast Forward Clue #2: Make your way to a place where the world's biggest stars play on grass.

Ember/Youngblood quickly narrow it down to one of two possibilities. They head for the Wimbledon station. Meanwhile, Tucker and Valerie realize their mistake.

"Darn!" Tucker says.

"What?" Valerie says, frustrated.

"We should've gone to this other station where 6 lines are linked."

"You mean we picked the wrong station? Darn!"

They hurry to the black line and head towards St. Pancras.

As the geek and his new girlfriend head for the correct station, the pirate ghosts arrive at the 2nd station at about 7:45am. They find the 2nd Cosmo coin among a random basket of tennis balls.

Fast Forward Clue #3: A certain teddy bear has a message for you. Head to the station that features his name.

Ember and Youngblood are puzzled by this clue, but decide to head north up the green line, taking a chance. Meanwhile, Tucker and Valerie grab the first Cosmo coin and head for Wimbledon.

Back in Manchester, 8:00am approaches. Danny and Sam fairly let Dan and Vlad go first since they arrived first. Inside, Vlad and Dan find a Road Block.

Road Block #10: Who thinks they can make the World Cup?

Dan agrees to do it, as does Sam.

Road Block #10 Opened: You must take turns trying to score a goal against a top Manchester United goalie. Once you score a goal, you will get your next clue. No ghost powers.

For those who don't know, Manchester United is a soccer club in England's main pro soccer league and is one of the most popular soccer clubs in Europe and the world.

"Wow," Sam says. "Why did I have to do this road block?"

"Because you've only done 3," Danny says, "and I've done 5."

"Oh."

Dan tries his hand at a goal first. He shoots left. The goalie anticipates this move and blocks the shot. Dan grumbles as Sam gets ready to shoot. Her kick doesn't even reach the goal. Sam thinks that this will take a very long time.

Meanwhile, Ember and Youngblood continue to ride the Green Line up in London.

"Next up, Paddington Station," the train conductor says.

"Paddington!" Ember and Youngblood exclaim at the same time as the answer comes to them.

They get off at the station and find the famous bear holding the 3rd Cosmo coin.

Fast Forward Clue #4: Now head to the station where Sherlock Holmes made his home.

Ember correctly guesses Baker Street, 3 stations east. They head for Baker Street as Tucker and Valerie return from Wimbledon with the second coin.

Up in Manchester, the MU goalie has successfully blocked 8 shots each from Dan and Sam. Danny continues to try and motivate Sam, who has the current turn.

"You can do it, Sam!" Danny says.

"Shut up and let me concentrate!" Sam barks back.

She fires a shot left. The goalie misreads the shot and goes into the net. Sam cheers as the ref gives them their next clue.

Route Marker #10.4: Make your way to downtown Inverness to find your next clue. Ghost powers allowed to travel there.

The leaders realize that Scotland is their destination. Danny goes ghost once more as he and Sam take off. Meanwhile, Vlad cracks on Dan.

"Beaten by a girl," Vlad says. "How do you feel about that?"

Dan growls at Vlad as he misses another shot.

Back in London, Ember and Youngblood grab the final Cosmo coin.

Fast Forward Clue #5: Now return all the Cosmo coins to an officer at the station closest to Police Headquarters where you will receive your Fast Forward Route Marker.

Ember and Youngblood mull over where that could be as Tucker and Valerie pick up the coin at Paddington. They then ask a local, who notifies that Police Headquarters, or Scotland Yard as it is locally known, is closest to the Charing Cross station. They head towards that station as Tucker and Valerie head towards Baker Street.

Back in Manchester, Dan gets angry. On his 13th attempt, he zooms a rocket way past the goalie and into the net. They finally grab the clue and head for Inverness. In Inverness, Danny and Sam have found the next Route Marker. It is a Detour, the final one in the race.

Detour #10: Herd em up or Bag em up

Herd em up: Herd 50 sheep into this small pen without touching the sheep and without using any ghost powers.

Bag em up: Grab these 50 bagpipes each weighted to 150 pounds, take them 200 yards to this mule-powered wheelbarrow and guide the mule half a mile to the town's music shop.

Teams that were strong could complete bag em up quickly, despite the physicality of the challenge. Teams that chose herd em up might spend a long time on the challenge, although the challenge is not physically demanding at all.

"OOH! Sheep!" Sam exclaims as her eyes become wide. "Can we try the sheep thing?"

"Eh, sure," Danny says, giving Sam a questioning look.

Meanwhile, Ember and Youngblood arrive at Charing Cross and find the officer. The pirates turn in their four Cosmo coins. The officer, normally still at all moments, gives Ember the Fast Forward.

Fast Forward Route Marker: Congratulations on winning the Fast Forward. Now you may head directly to the pit stop, the shore of the River Ness in Inverness. Ghost powers allowed to travel.

Ember and Youngblood go invisible and take off. Meanwhile, Tucker and Valerie receive some bad news as they arrive at Baker Street.

"Attention," the PA announcement reads, "Anyone in the Amazing Race still racing for the Fast Forward, it has been taken. I repeat, the Fast Forward has been taken."

"Oh man," the pessimistic Valerie bums out, "we're done for."

"Now don't you give up," Tucker says. "We're gonna make it through this!"

Valerie starts to cry. "I don't want to go home when we're this close!"

Tucker tries to control a sobbing Valerie as they get in a taxi and head for Liverpool.

Meanwhile, in Inverness, Danny and Sam struggle with their task.

"Only 3?" Sam worries. "What are we doing wrong?"

"Choosing this detour," Danny says under his breath.

Sam hears Danny and gives him an ugly look. Meanwhile, Vlad and Dan arrive at the Route Marker. They decide to use their strength to their advantage as they try bag em up. They get the bags up rather quickly as Sam and Danny only manage to get 30 sheep in. Unfortunately, Dan and Vlad are now at the mercy of a very slow and lazy mule.

Meanwhile, at a different part of town, Ember and Youngblood arrive at the mat with their Fast Forward.

"Ember and Youngblood, you're team #1!"

They cheer wildly.

"How do you feel about winning your 2nd leg in this race?" Phil questions the leaders.

"It feels great," Ember says.

"Yeah," Youngblood adds. "We're gonna win this race!"

As Ember and Youngblood chat on the mat, Tucker and Valerie have finished up in Liverpool and have arrived in Manchester. A still sobbing Valerie has rendered herself worthless, making Tucker go through the Road Block. He misses his first 6 shots, putting Valerie even deeper into depression.

Meanwhile, an uncooperative mule eventually gets Vlad and Dan to the shop. They drop off all the bagpipes and get the final clue of the leg.

Route Marker #10.5: Make your way to the shore of the River Ness to the next pit stop using any transportation method. Warning: the last team to check in may be eliminated.

They fly immediately to the mat.

"Vlad and Dan, you're team #2."

At the same time, Danny and Sam finish up their herding. They grab their final clue and fly to the mat.

"Danny and Sam, you're team #3."

As the 3rd place lovebirds check in, Tucker finally scores in Manchester. They taxi quickly to Inverness. Unfortunately, quickly means 2 hours, meaning that the team gets there as evening approaches. They decide to go for bag. It takes the pessimist and her new boyfriend 3 hours before they finish the task. They then walk, hands together, to the mat. They each smile at each other, knowing that this is probably it for their race.

"Tucker and Valerie, you're the last team to arrive."

They get the announcement they were expecting. Then they get an announcement they weren't expecting.

"I'm...happy to report though that this is the final of 3 pre-determined non-elimination legs. I must take all of your stuff, including cash and clothes, except the clothes on your back and your passports. You will also start the next leg with no money to your name. But you are still in the Amazing Race."

Valerie's mood is enlightened immediately. She jumps skyward and hugs Tucker quite convincingly. Tucker looks at the camera and smiles.

Unfortunately, they are 5 hours behind 3rd place Danny and Sam. Can they catch up? Find out in our next episode!

ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF THE AMAZING RACE

Our teams make a turn for home. Who will take the turn in stride?

Can Tucker and Valerie make a miraculous comeback out of last place?

And in the biggest and most dangerous challenge of the entire race, who will make a blind miracle to be in position to race for the million?


	11. Leg 11: Scotland to Niagara Falls

THE AMAZING RACE – DANNY PHANTOM EDITION  
CHAPTER 11

Warnings: T/V, D/S, some intense challenges ahead.

Phil: "This is Scotland, one of the most tranquil and beautiful spots in the entire world. And on the eastern shore lies the city of Inverness. This was the 9th pit stop in a race around the world. Teams arrived here at the end of the last leg. Tucker and Valerie, who arrived last, were not eliminated because this was the final of 3 pre-determined non-elimination legs. However, they were stripped of everything they had except the clothes on their backs and their passports. They will also start this leg with zero dollars to their name."

And as a result, Tucker and Valerie, who finished 5 hours behind the other teams, spent their break trying to beg for cash. They were mildly successful, being able to get 60 pounds ($105) before their time to leave came.

"Ember and Youngblood, who were the first to arrive at 1:05pm, will depart at 1:05am."

Route Marker 11.1: THIS IS A NON-GHOST LEG. Make your way to the Blarney Castle in Ireland and kiss the Blarney Stone to receive your next clue. Three teams have $160 for this leg of the race, one team has zero.

Ember and Youngblood get in a taxi and take off. Vlad and Dan, starting in second, follow quickly behind. Meanwhile, Danny and Sam debate waiting for their alliance partners.

"You think we should wait for them?" Sam says, referring to Tucker and Valerie. "You know, in case you need to fly them around."

"It's every team for themselves now," Danny answers.

Sam frowns, obviously disapproving of Danny's mindset. She then opens the clue and sees the non-ghost stipulation. She relaxes as they get into a taxi. As they get into the taxi, Ember/Youngblood and Vlad/Dan have found the same ferry across to Dublin. Danny and Sam arrive at the ferry dock one hour later and take the very next ferry.

In Dublin, Vlad and Dan get the first taxi out of the ferry terminal, with Ember/Youngblood about 10 minutes behind. The taxi ride is 2 hours long, enough time for Vlad and Dan to plot.

"There's still one more yield left in this race," Vlad advises.

"Exactly," Dan answers.

"If we get the chance, yield Guitar Girl."

"Why?"

"Because Wisconsin residents don't like rock and roll."

"Oh..."

They arrive at the Blarney Stone as Danny and Sam get off the ferry back in Dublin. Danny and Sam hold hands as they wait for a taxi. As they wait, Dan and Vlad both kiss the Blarney Stone.

"This is so degrading," Dan says, embarrassed that he's kissing a stone.

Route Marker 11.2: It's now time to turn towards home. Make your way to the CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Dan and Vlad rush off to the airport in Dublin as the clock strikes 6:15am. This means that Tucker and Valerie finally get started in Inverness. They get on their taxi and start for the ferry terminal in Scotland. As they do that, Ember and Youngblood arrive at the Blarney Castle to kiss the stone. They do it successfully and head back to the airport. As they pass Danny and Sam on the road, Ember sticks her tongue out at the teenage lovebirds rather hideously.

"That was rather uncalled for," Sam says.

"If we get the chance," Danny says, "Yield them."

"Ok."

They travel down to the castle where they kiss the stone. They then head back up to Dublin. Meanwhile, Vlad and Dan are angered at the airport.

"I got some bad news," Dan says.

"What?" Vlad answers.

"The quickest flight to Toronto doesn't leave here for another 6 hours."

"That means everyone could catch up."

"Exactly."

"Darn!"

As Vlad skulks, Tucker and Valerie arrive at the ferry terminal. They take some time to beg for more money, unaware of their opportunity at the airport if they can get to Blarney Castle and back quickly. A generous man gives them 250 Euros ($296), more than enough to take care of taxi rides. They head down to Blarney Castle, keeping an optimistic attitude of their bad situation. They kiss the stone and head back to Dublin, unaware that they have 2.5 hours to make their flight that would put them back in the race. With 45 minutes to spare, they arrive at the airport and discover the immediate flight. But the ticketing agent gives some bad news.

"This flight is closed."

"WHAT!" Tucker and Valerie exclaim.

"It would take too long for you to get through security and customs to get to the flight in time."

"Please, can't you hold this flight so we can make it?"

"I don't think so, but I'll check."

He calls the gate agent. Tucker and Valerie wait anxiously.

"Yeah, we can get you on."

Tucker and Valerie cheer.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Tucker says.

"Let's just get going," Valerie responds.

They hold hands as they get through customs and security. Meanwhile, Vlad and Dan, already on the plane, are ecstatic that they think that the final three have already been decided. They then see Tucker and Valerie get on the plane.

"Oh darn," Vlad groffs.

All four teams relax for the 7.5 hour trip to Toronto. Each team has their own way of relaxing.

Vlad and Dan both use the inflight video game system with Halo 2 to release some aggression.

Tucker plays too, as Valerie just rolls her eyes and turns on "Star Wars Episode III".

Ember and Youngblood decide to just sleep.

Danny goes to sleep too. Sam reads a book, rubbing Danny's chest as she reads.

7.5 hours later, the plane arrives in Toronto. Vlad and Dan are out of the airport first, followed by Tucker and Valerie, and Ember and Youngblood, who get hung up a bit in customs. Danny and Sam also get hung up a bit in customs and depart last from the airport. They each grab the cars that have been provided for them and race down to the CN Tower. Vlad and Dan maintain the lead into town and grab the Road Block clue first.

Road Block 11: Who's up for a big climb?

Vlad agrees to do it.

Road Block 11 Opened: You must climb the 1776 stairs of the CN Tower. The catch? You must do it while carrying a backpack equal to 60 of your body weight.

Vlad welcomes the challenge, as he is quite the strongman. He grabs the backpack and starts on his way up. Closely behind are Tucker and Valerie. Valerie has to do it, because Tucker has already completed his 6 Road Blocks. She fears the challenge.

"I don't know if I can carry that much weight. I mean, I can barely carry my bazooka."

"Your what?" Tucker reacts.

"Nothing!" Valerie says, trying to keep her ghost-hunting identity a secret. She starts to climb the stairs slowly.

They continue to climb as Ember and Youngblood get to the tower. Ember agrees to do it as she starts to climb with a lot of confidence. Meanwhile, the very strong Vlad nears the top. He reaches the 1776th step and nearly collapses, a move that surprises the producers. Exasperated, he grabs the clue and gets in the elevator to go back down to ground level.

As Tucker waits on ground level, he notices the arcade in the CN Tower.

"So tempting..." Tucker thinks. He then realizes they only have $37 left. He refrains from going to play, even though he badly wants to play DDR. Vlad arrives at the bottom floor and joins Dan in reading the next clue.

Route Marker 11.3: Make your way to the Air Canada Centre across town. Caution: Yield Ahead.

They head out of the building as Danny and Sam arrives. Danny decides to become the man and take the physical challenge. He starts up as Ember arrives on the top floor, having beaten Valerie to the top floor. In actuality, the tired Valerie is only two-thirds there. Ember and Youngblood grab the clue and head off to the Air Canada Centre. Valerie, however, is able to make it before a surprisingly fast Danny can get to the top. Valerie grabs the clue and the team heads off to the Air Canada Centre in 3rd. Danny and Sam are able to follow 5 minutes later, still stuck in last place.

Meanwhile, Vlad and Dan have arrived at the Air Canada Centre where they spot the 3rd and final Yield mat in the race. If a team has gotten Yielded, they must turn over an hourglass and wait for the sand to run out before they continue on. No team has used their Yield opportunity yet in the race, so any team could use it if they wanted.

Vlad and Dan arrive first. They consider who to Yield, and...

"We yield Ember and Youngblood," Vlad says confidently on the mat.

They place their picture on the sign and move on to the Detour.

Detour 11: Block or Unlock

Block: Block 10 shots each from players on the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team. Once each of you have stopped those shots, the coach will give you your next clue.

Unlock: Take a key and find the lock among 500 spread throughout the main thoroughfare of the Air Canada Centre that will unlock. The locksmith will then give you your next clue.

Vlad and Dan try Block. Meanwhile, outside, Ember and Youngblood arrive to see that they have been yielded. Youngblood looks shocked, but Ember tries to reassure him of their chances.

"Remember, we are not out of this race!" Ember says. "How amazing would it be to come back from the final Yield to win this race?" Youngblood smiles.

"That's what I thought," Ember responds.

They sit down as Tucker and Valerie are the first to pass them. They decide to go with Unlock. On ice level, Vlad and Dan have suited up and look quite goofy in goalie garb. The first shot aims for Vlad. It goes through the five-hole. The next shot goes for Dan. He is able to make the glove save. He sticks his tongue out at Vlad. Vlad just scoffs back. Meanwhile, Danny and Sam arrive at the Route Marker. They decide to try Block as well.

Meanwhile, Tucker and Valerie have gone through 60 locks with no success. They are obviously starting to get frustrated as Tucker throws down his backpack in disgust.

"Don't get impatient!" Valerie scolds Tucker. "That's the last thing we need so close to the finish."

"Grr..." Tucker responds.

Tucker then finds the correct lock. Tucker smiles innocently as Valerie's point about patience was correct after all. He and Valerie receive the next clue.

Route Marker 11.4: Make your way to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls where you will receive your next clue at the Canadian Customs House.

Tucker and Valerie grab a taxi and head down to the falls. Meanwhile, on ice level, Dan blocks his tenth shot as Vlad blocks his eighth. They seem to have gotten the pattern down well at this point. At the other side of the ice, Danny, a surprisingly good goaltender, has already blocked 6 shots and has successfully coached Sam through 3 blocks of her own. As the teenage lovers continue, Dan finishes up. They grab the clue and head for the falls.

Over at the Yield, the hourglass finally runs out. With Ember's motivation, she and Youngblood choose Unlock and start trying to find the correct lock.

On ice level, Danny has finished up while Sam is almost there.

"Block your five-hole!" Danny says. She does and Sam gets #8.

"Up high!" Number nine.

"Left foot!" Number ten! They've finished.

"Thanks, Danny," Sam says. She hugs him. "You know, I wouldn't have had a chance on that without you. I owe you one."

Danny smiles and wonders what that could mean. They grab the clue and head for the falls. Meanwhile, frustration starts to set in with Ember and Youngblood. 120 locks and still no success.

"Where could this lock be?" Youngblood says.

"It's somewhere, we've just got to keep trying," Ember responds with a bit of anger in her voice.

Suddenly, they find their lock. Ember and Youngblood grab the clue and head for the falls.

At the Falls, Tucker and Valerie arrive first and find a bunch of safety restraints.

"Hmm," Tucker ponders, "I wonder what that could be for."

They then grab the clue. What they find out about this task shocks both of them.

Route Marker 11.5: After checking in with Canadian customs, climb down this ladder and choose one of these two 8-inch wide metal planks. With the water of the falls crashing down on you, you must cross the falls on these planks. Once you reach the American side, check in with the pit stop at the nearby American Customs house. Warning: Last team to check in will be eliminated.

Tucker and Valerie look at each other with scared faces. This is the most intense challenge they have faced yet. They check in with the Canadians and then put on the safety harnesses.

"Now if someone in your team falls," the safety technician says, "you must stand still for 90 seconds while we pull your teammate back up onto the plank."

Tucker and Valerie heed the warnings and climb down the ladder to the plank. Valerie's face is ghost white with fear over falling. Meanwhile, Vlad and Dan arrive up at the top of the cliff. They put on the harnesses as Tucker and Valerie, already soaked, start on their way. Vlad and Dan then climb down, oblivious of any fear. Meanwhile, Tucker and Valerie are about a quarter of the way there. Suddenly, Valerie looks down at the height they are up. Valerie suddenly becomes ultra-frightened and doesn't notice Tucker, who is in front of her, stop for a second. She bumps into him and falls off the plank. The harness saves her from falling, but she and Tucker must stop moving for 90 seconds, allowing Vlad and Dan, looking straight ahead at all times, to press on ahead into the lead. As Valerie gets pulled back up onto the plank, Danny and Sam arrive at the challenge. Sam also goes white when she sees the challenge.

"Are you sure I'll be able to do this?" Sam questions Danny.

"Don't worry," Danny says as he puts a hand on Sam's shoulder. "I will help you through. Just don't look down."

"Oh, I don't know if I'll be able to resist." Sam frowns and becomes extremely worried.

But Sam knows that this is the crunch time. She and Danny put on the harnesses and climb down. Meanwhile, Vlad and Dan have made it to the other side. They climb up to the American Customs where Phil is waiting.

"Vlad and Dan, you're team #1!"

Vlad and Dan high-five each other.

"You are one of the three teams that will race to the finish line for $1 million."

Meanwhile, Ember and Youngblood arrive at the challenge. The ghost pirates cheer at the sight of the challenge.

"Walking planks," Ember says. "This is our specialty."

Ember and Youngblood climb down as Danny and Sam timidly continue, not helped by the fact that Sam is scared and cold due to the water. At the other end, Tucker and Valerie have gotten over their initial fears of the challenge to complete the path and make it to the pit stop.

"Tucker and Valerie, you're team #2."

Back under the falls, Sam suddenly looks down and sees the height. Sam gets terrified and slips on an extremely wet spot, causing her to fall. As Danny waits the mandatory 90 seconds, Ember and Youngblood overtake the teenage lovebirds. After Danny and Sam get up, Sam is still terrified. Since he is in front, Danny gets a sudden idea. He tears a piece of clothing off of his shirt and ties it over Sam's eyes.

"What the heck are you doing?" Sam says. "Why have you just blindfolded me?"

"With the blindfold on, you won't be tempted to look down," Danny responds. "Now grab onto my shoulders, and walk along with me."

"I don't know..."  
"Do you trust me?"

"Well..."

"Do you love me?"

"Yes!"

"Then hopefully you will trust me here."

Sam's confidence is still a bit low, but she smiles and knows that trust is the only chance she and Danny will have to win the race. This motivates her to follow Danny's lead and move at a fast pace. They pull even with Ember and Youngblood as the teams reach the ladders. Sam yanks off the blindfold and climbs up at a torrid pace with Danny. However, Ember and Youngblood keep up with the duo. Both teams reach the cliff at the same time and it becomes a foot race to the mat. Danny and Sam pull slightly ahead of Ember and Youngblood as the teams near the mat.

"Sam, our only chance is to dive for the mat!" Danny urges.

They dive for it, their hands touching the mat 5 yards before Ember and Youngblood can get there.

"Danny and Sam, you're team #3."

Danny and Sam hug in celebration of making the final three.

"What were you thinking when you saw our final challenge?" Phil questions Sam.

"You know, I thought, this is it for us in this race," Sam responds. As she smiles at Danny, she goes on: "But if Danny hadn't come up with as good of an idea as blindfolding me when I was terrified of the heights, they would be moving on instead of us."

She points over to an Ember and Youngblood, who, with bowed, ashamed heads, wait their turn to step on the mat.

"Ember, Youngblood, come over here," Phil says. "Ember and Youngblood, you're the last team to arrive. I'm sorry to say that you've both been eliminated from the race."

"But these pirates," Sam says, "to come back from their yield to almost beat us to stay in the race, that is credit to their perseverance."

"Thanks, Sam," Ember says, "that really means a lot to us, doesn't it, Youngblood?"

"Yes..." Youngblood sobs. He then bawls, not being able to control his disappointment.

"Then does that mean that you will never cause trouble anymore on Earth?" Danny hopes.

"Nope," Ember says. "That just gives us more freedom to try even harder!"

And with an evil laugh, Ember and Youngblood fly off to Madison, WI to return to the Ghost Zone. Meanwhile, Danny and Sam hug and hurry off to the designated hotel to rest for what will be an intense final leg.

The final three are now decided: Vlad and Dan, Tucker and Valerie, and Danny and Sam. Who will win the Amazing Race? Find out in the Season Finale!


	12. Leg 12: Niagara Falls to Florida

THE AMAZING RACE – DANNY PHANTOM EDITION – CHAPTER 12

Disclaimer: DP stuff owned by Butch Hartman/Nick/Viacom. WDW stuff owned by Disney.

Warnings: T/V, D/S, intense competition ahead.

Phil introduces: "This is Niagara Falls, one of the most beautiful and majestic sights in North America. And on the American side of the falls, this customs house near the falls was the 10th pit stop in a race around the world. Can Danny and Sam come back from last place? Will Tucker and Valerie use their underdog status to their advantage? Will Vlad and Dan continue to use their physical strengths to their advantage? And most importantly, who will win the Amazing Race? Vlad and Dan, who were the first to arrive at 4:20pm, will depart at 4:20am."

Route Marker 12.1: Make your way to Orlando, FL and the main gate of the Epcot Theme Park at Walt Disney World. You must get to Orlando using an airline flight, but you may use your ghost powers thereafter. You have $9.99 for this leg of the race.

Vlad and Dan take their final clue and depart, happy that their money situation is satisfied due to the money they have saved. Departing in 2nd place, Tucker and Valerie grab a taxi and follow Vlad and Dan's flight trails to Buffalo Airport, the closest airport to Niagara Falls. Danny and Sam get going 30 minutes after their classmates.

At the airport, Vlad and Dan discover the first direct flight departs at 8:30am, arriving in Orlando at 11:25am. They take that flight immediately. Tucker and Valerie get these tickets as well. Arriving in last place, Danny and Sam look for a way to get ahead.

"Looks like the other teams took AirTran out of here," Sam notices.

"Want to try another airline?" Danny proposes.

"Sure."

The couple heads over to Delta, where they discover a great opportunity.

"I can get you into Orlando at 10:35am," the agent informs Danny and Sam. "It requires a very tight connection in Cincinnati, but it is possible."

They take the tickets and then get an idea.

"We need to head over to AirTran," Danny says.

"Why?" Sam questions.

"Because we can trick them into thinking we never got the tickets. They'll think we are out of the race."

"Ah..." Sam says as she figures out the plan. "You're tricky."

They go up to the ticket agent and buy tickets for the AirTran flight, since they don't have to pay for them. But both Danny and Sam throw their arms in the air as if they didn't get the flight. This trick fools Tucker and Valerie, who notice the act.

"Wow," Tucker says, "They look angry."

"I guess it's now a two-team race," Valerie says.

Danny and Sam then head to the security checkpoint, out of the view of Tucker and Valerie. They get onto the Delta plane, thinking they have a big lead. They take their seats at the back of the plane. But unbeknownst to Danny/Sam or Tucker/Valerie, Vlad and Dan have also figured out the quicker route to Orlando. They get on the plane at the very last minute, making sure Danny and Sam don't see them get on the plane.

As the Delta flight nears Cincinnati, Tucker and Valerie get on the AirTran plane by themselves. They notice that Dan and Vlad are not on.

"You think they found a better flight?" Valerie worries.

"Nonsense," Tucker responds. "There were no quicker direct flights."

Meanwhile, in Cincinnati, Danny and Sam get in the terminal and run to the gate for the Orlando flight. Dan and Vlad follow them, invisible to all. As Danny and Sam check into the Orlando flight, Dan and Vlad duck into the bathroom and turn tangible again. They then check in, again unbeknownst to Danny and Sam.

As they take off for Orlando, Tucker uncovers a startling revelation.

"There was a quicker flight!" Tucker says, researching his PDA.

"WHAT?" Valerie screams.

"Through Cincinnati, getting there 50 minutes ahead of us. The other two teams must've taken that flight."

Valerie just sits back in her seat and sobs. Tucker tries to console her, but she just backs away.

"Get away from me, Tucker!" Valerie yells. "If you can't learn to uncover the truth sooner than that, our relationship is not going to work out AT ALL!"

Tucker just sits there, pouting.

Meanwhile, on the Cincinnati-Orlando plane, Danny and Sam sit on the plane, holding hands, when Danny has to get up.

"I'll be right back," Danny says.

"You better," Sam answers, smiling.

Danny blushes as he walks away. As he heads towards the lavatory, he looks to his right. What he sees shocks him.

"Hello, Daniel," Vlad says to Danny.

"Dan? Vlad? How the..." Danny blabbers. "How did you get on this plane."

"Chess, my boy, chess," Vlad responds. "It's all a chess game. And you just got put in check."

Danny's eyes glow red with anger.

"Temper, temper," Vlad says, "Isn't that how you became like that?" he says as he refers to Dan.

Dan just glares and listens to his iPod.

Danny just walks back to his seat. Sam notices Danny's surprised look.

"Danny, what's wrong?" Sam says.

"Well," Danny says, "they don't call this show The Amazing Race for nothing."

As the plane lands in Orlando, Danny and Vlad both duck into the bathroom to turn into their ghost forms. All four leaders then head for Epcot. Vlad and Dan are able to race ahead and reach the next route marker first.

Road Block 12: Who's ready for a big feast?

Danny, Tucker, and Vlad have all finished their six Road Blocks, leaving them ineligible for this challenge. Dan is forced to take it, as is Sam, who arrives at the Road Block with Danny about a minute after Vlad and Dan.

Road Block 12 Opened: You must complete a sampler plate from each of the 11 countries of the Epcot World Showcase. Once you finish it, you must then head over to Mission: SPACE and ride the space travel simulator there. If you can keep your food down, the ride operator will give you your next clue. No ghost powers.

Sam looks over the table of food. Several countries have offered meat. Sam looks like she could nearly faint.

"I don't think I can do this," Sam complains.

"Yes, you can!" Danny motivates. "Do you want the one million?"

"Yes..." Sam says with a sad face.

"Then you've got to be willing to do anything!"

Sam sighs and tries to put her beliefs to the side.

"Forgive me," Sam says to the heavens as she dives into her first piece of meat from Canada. She is sickened by the taste of the meat, but behind a comforting Danny, Sam is slowly able to continue. Meanwhile, Dan goes through 5 countries quickly. He moves fast, knowing that this could be the stunt that gives him $1 million. He finishes plate #11 as Sam starts on plate #6. Meanwhile, Tucker and Valerie finally arrive in Orlando. With no ghost powers and no alliances left, Tucker and Valerie take a taxi, knowing that they are on their own and for all intents and purposes out of the running for the final win.

Back at Epcot, Vlad and Dan get on Mission: SPACE. Dan considers using his ecto-powers to seal off his own mouth, but Vlad reminds him that ghost powers are illegal on this task. They start riding. Dan cannot successfully enjoy the ride, as his stomach begins to get queasy. Dan, however, is able to successfully hold it in through the spinning, tipping, and waving motions of the ride. They get off and receive their next clue.

Route Marker 12.2: Head to the World of Disney shop in Downtown Disney and find your next clue somewhere in the shop. Ghost powers allowed.

Vlad and Dan fly off to Downtown Disney. Meanwhile, at World Showcase, Sam finishes plate #10. They both notice Vlad and Dan fly off.

"It's time to expose a loophole," Danny says.

Since he is not in the Road Block challenge, he can use his ghost abilities. He uses his ecto-powers to encase Dan and Vlad in a mini-ghost shield.

"There," Danny says, "that will give us 30 minutes to overtake them."

"That's all well and good," Sam responds, "but I don't think I can finish this last plate."

"You can and you will! You're thinking about it WAY too much. Don't think about it, just pound it down."

Danny is once again able to successfully motivate Sam to pound down the last plate. She then heads over to Mission: SPACE. With the help of Danny's comfort, and a hand over her mouth, Sam struggles through the ride. They grab the clue just as the 30 minutes expires. The ghost shield breaks, allowing Dan and Vlad to continue slightly ahead of Danny and Sam.

They arrive at World of Disney at the same time. Dan and Vlad stay tangible as they search the store frantically. Danny and Sam, however, turn invisible, not wanting to give away the position of the clue when they find it. It becomes a frantic search, one that could decide one million dollars. They both search for 40 minutes with no luck. Sam then spots it, hidden discreetly behind a Winnie the Pooh doll. They grab the last clue in The Amazing Race.

Route Marker 12.3: Head to your final destination city: Daytona Beach, FL. Find Daytona International Speedway and find the entrance to the racetrack. Once there, run one lap by foot around the track and get to Victory Lane and the finish line! No flying powers once you reach the racetrack.

Danny and Sam, still invisible, take off for the racetrack. Five minutes pass before Dan and Vlad are finally able to find it amidst lots of frustration. They take off for Daytona.

En route to Daytona, Danny, carrying Sam with him in flight, goes out of invisibility suddenly and dives for a second before regaining his powers.

"Danny, what's wrong?" Sam says.

"It's my powers. They're shortening out," Danny worries. "I must've used up a lot of juice firing that shield at Vlad and Dan and staying invisible for that long time in the store."

"Oh no! Would we be able to outrun Dan and Vlad if your powers aren't 100?"

"I have no idea."

Sam begins to worry that the one million dollars might be slipping away.

The teenagers arrive at Daytona barely ahead of Vlad and Dan. Using his acceleration ghost powers, Danny and Sam start to run as fast as they can for the first mile of the 2.5 mile track, gaining a 1000 foot lead. However, the short outs of Danny's powers are becoming more frequent, leading to what appears to be a complete die out of Danny's powers 1.5 miles into their run.

"Danny, your powers!" Sam says, noticing Danny Phantom turn back into his human form.

Vlad and Dan notice Danny turning back. This pushes them even faster under their powers. Danny and Sam continue to run as hard as they can, but they are no match for a fully-powered Vlad and Dan.

"You know, Daniel," Vlad says as they pass the teenagers, "my half of the million will do wonders to my mansion. Maddie will never be able to resist me."

This comment about his mom angers Danny to a point rarely seen out of him.

"No. No! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Danny yells in anger. At the end, he turns back into Danny Phantom and sonic waves begin to pop out of Danny. Danny has invoked his mighty Ghostly Wail! This wail gets to Dan and Vlad, knocking the level of their powers down to what Danny was suffering through earlier.

"What the..." Dan notices. "We're slowing down!"

"This is an outrage!" Vlad shouts.

Meanwhile, Danny has appeared to grab a second wind. He grabs Sam and sweeps her off her feet, just like in her dreams. They run the final mile quicker than ever before. But Dan and Vlad are closing in on the finish. It is a dead heat down the final 500 yards. Along with Phil at the finish line are the 7 teams eliminated earlier in this race. They cheer the leaders to the finish line as Phil welcomes the winners.

"30 days, 5 continents, over 35,000 miles, congratulations Danny and Sam, you are the official winners of the Amazing Race!"

Danny and Sam, who beat Dan and Vlad by just about 40 yards, jump up and cheer. They then hug passionately, a moment that makes most of the eliminated teams feel good, except for Jack and Maddie, who try to hide their eyes.

"Dan and Vlad, you're team #2," Phil announces to a dejected and disappointed Dan and Vlad. They sigh and sit away from the celebration. Danny, noticing the two sad enemies of his, walks over to his rivals.

"You ran the perfect race," Danny says. "It was a pleasure to race against you guys."

"Get away from me!" Dan yells back. "When we rebound from this, you are public enemy #1!"

"And believe me, Daniel," Vlad adds, "We will not make it happy for you."

They get up and take off for Wisconsin. Sam walks over to Danny, who is left there looking up into the sky, shaking his head.

"What's wrong?" Sam says.

"Oh, it's just Vlad and Dan," Danny responds. "I feel that we are really gonna pay for winning this reality show."

"Don't worry about it for now. I need to give a present to my hero in this race. After all, without you, we would've never won this race."

Danny smiles and blushes as Sam gives him a big kiss on the lips. They then return to the celebration with Tucker and Valerie, who finished a distant 3rd, as all the teams get together for their final picture together. Danny and Sam then fly off into the sunset one million dollars richer.

Meanwhile, back in Wisconsin:

"So, you think that was amazing, Daniel?" Vlad says. "Well, get ahold of this!"

He shows his new face, which looks like an eviler version of Dan. It appears as if Dan and Vlad have crossed their bodies. He then takes off for Amity Park.

THE END?

Thanks For Reading :)


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